SAN FRANCISCO – An evenly played first half saw Academy of Art women's basketball up 39-38 on No. 11 Hawaii Pacific at halftime, but after the Sharks opened the third quarter with a 22-1 run, the visitors came away with a 98-74 Pacific West Conference victory on Sunday afternoon inside Kezar Pavilion. Junior guard Pam Wilmore posted 24 points to tie her season-high and lead three Urban Knights scoring in double figures.

Though HPU made its first three field goals en route to a 14-4 start to the game, ART U was right back in with a 10-2 surge started by Wilmore and finished with 3-pointers by senior guard Josselyn Morris and graduate student guard Tayler Bennett on back-to-back possessions. Making three of its final four shots, Academy of Art capped another push with a Wilmore jumper that had the teams knotted at 21-21 with the second quarter on the way.

Bennett opened the frame with a pair of triples and suddenly the Knights led 27-21. Nine unanswered points would swing Hawaii Pacific back in front, but in the quarter's later stages, junior forward Megan Jefferson converted two layups and freshman forward Aari'yanna Sanders knocked down a 3-pointer to help ART U go into the halftime locker room ahead 39-38.

The Sharks scored early and often in the third, moving in front with the aforementioned 22-1 burst, but the gap widened after seven 3-pointers fell in the final five minutes. Sanders and Bennett each connected from long range in the quarter, but HPU had built a 79-52 margin by the end. Repeated drives to the basket by Wilmore yielded an 8-0 run midway through the fourth, however, Hawaii Pacific's cushion held up for the 98-74 end result.

Sitting at 5-10 overall and 3-8 in conference action, ART U was once more led by a statsheet-stuffing effort from Wilmore who offered 24 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. All four of Bennett's field goals were 3-pointers, giving her 12 points while Jefferson matched her career-high with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

Still undefeated in PacWest play, the Sharks rose to 16-1 overall and 11-0 among conference matchups. Knocking down four triples amid a 13-of-21 shooting performance from the field, Starr Rivera finished with a game-high 31 points as well as five rebounds and four assists.

Academy of Art will now close out the month of January with three games in Hawaii beginning with Chaminade on Jan. 27.