Game #3
ART U Urban Knights (2-0) vs. Cal State East Bay Pioneers (1-1)
Friday, November 19, 2021 at 5 p.m.
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
Live Stats | Live Video
 
Game #4
ART U Urban Knights (2-0) vs. Stanislaus State Warriors (1-1)
Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 5 p.m.
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

ACADEMY OF ART SET TO MATCH UP WITH PIONEERS, WARRIORS
Carrying the momentum of two wins to start its 2021-22 campaign, Academy of Art women's basketball now turns its attention to the Turlock-based Warrior Classic which will feature two California Collegiate Athletics Association opponents in Cal State East Bay and host Stanislaus State.

TIP-OFF
The Urban Knights begin the Warrior Classic with Cal State East Bay this Friday, Nov. 19 then face Stanislaus State on Saturday, Nov. 20. Both contests will take place inside Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena with 5 p.m. start times. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
An impressive start to the season has Academy of Art leading all NCAA Division II institutions in blocks per game (9.0) and ranking third in the country in rebounds per game (56.0) while holding opponents to the 12th-lowest field goal percentage (27.3 percent). Additionally, ART U leads the PacWest in scoring margin (15.5), rebounding margin (11.0), and steals per game (10.5).

A major reason why ART U has started so strong is graduate student guard Joy Krupa who ranks fourth in NCAA DII at 4.0 blocks per game in addition to 16.0 points (ninth in PacWest), 9.5 rebounds (fourth in PacWest), 2.5 steals (tied for third in PacWest), and 2.5 assists per contest while shooting 55.2 percent from the field (third in PacWest).

Freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson is also off to a hot start, averaging 15.0 rebounds (tied for seventh in NCAA DII) plus 9.5 points per game after breaking the program's freshman record with 17 rebounds against Simon Fraser on Nov. 15. The second-leading scorer on the team through two games has been freshman guard Brooke Rodgers who has put up 12.0 points per contest in addition to 1.0 block per game which is tied with Wilson, junior guard Chanel Stuart, and freshman forward/center Christy Ojide for fourth in the PacWest. Freshman guard Alyssa Munn's 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio is third in the conference and her 3.0 assists per game are among the PacWest's top 10 as well.
 
PIOS BIOS
After splitting exhibitions with Menlo and UC Davis, Cal State East Bay opened its season with a 60-54 win over Northwest Nazarene and a 68-55 loss to Central Washington in the CCAA-GNAC Crossover also hosted by Stanislaus State. Picked to finish third in the CCAA Preseason Poll (with two first-place votes), the Pioneers have been led by Della Moore's 18.5 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game thus far. In a historical matchup that dates back to 2009, Academy of Art leads CSUEB 6-2 all-time.

THE STATE OF STAN STATE
In the aforementioned CCAA-GNAC Crossover that Stanislaus State hosted to start the season, the Warriors narrowly lost to Central Washington 67-66 then defeated Northwest Nazarene 76-67. CCAA Preseason Poll votes had Stanislaus State tied with Humboldt State for a sixth-place finish in the standings and Kyanna Davis has served as the focal point of the Warriors' attack, averaging 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. A back-and-forth all-time matchup has ART U in front of Stanislaus State 3-2 heading into the weekend.

ACADEMY OF ART OUTLASTS SIMON FRASER 59-56 IN OVERTIME
After outscoring Simon Fraser in the first two quarters, Academy of Art women's basketball had a shot at the game-winner to close regulation, but when that did not fall, hustle plays and free throws in the extra period helped ART U secure a 59-56 win on Nov. 15 inside Walter Gleason Gym. Four Urban Knights scored in double figures including a pair, graduate student guard Joy Krupa and freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson, who each had double-doubles to power Academy of Art's 62 rebounds, the eighth-most in the program's single-game history.

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U will close out the month of November with two more road contests next week as the Urban Knights travel to NCAA Division I San Jose State on Wednesday, Nov. 24 before ending with Sonoma State on Saturday, Nov. 27.