ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – In a multi-faceted performance, Academy of Art women's basketball knocked down seven 3-pointers in the first half (four from junior guard Chanel Stuart alone) then thrived scoring both off turnovers and on the offensive glass in a 68-53 win over Sonoma State inside The Wolves' Den on Saturday. Stuart's season-high 16 points off the bench came along with 15 points from freshman guard Brooke Rodgers and graduate student guard Joy Krupa's third double-double of the year.

A triple by junior guard Lauryn Manns and a layup from freshman guard Alyssa Munn on consecutive possessions helped ART U begin with a 5-0 lead. SSU, however, would come back to not only tie but take a lead by way of a 9-0 run that was eventually stopped by the first of four first half 3-pointers from Stuart. She knocked down two more from long range and the Knights carried a 16-14 advantage at the end of one quarter.

"Our last couple of games. we've had some really good looks from three, but weren't making them," said Head Coach Krystle Evans. "I thought our guards did a good job of focusing on their footwork and staying confident. I was especially happy for Chanel. This week in practice, she was very focused on getting out of her shooting slump and it paid off."

Redshirt sophomore guard/forward Hailey McCoy got in on the success from distance with her first triple of the season less than a minute into the second quarter and the teams would remain close as 3-pointers from Stuart and Munn highlighted a second half that ended with Academy of Art on top 32-28.

Both sides found their scoring rhythm early in the third quarter and, after trailing 39-37, Krupa scored after a Stuart steal and ART U would proceed to score 12 straight points off turnovers with Rodgers, Krupa, Stuart, and freshman guard Milan Tuttle all scoring during a difference-making 10-1 run. With 19 points scored off 14 Seawolf turnovers to that point in the game, the Knights had collected a 49-42 advantage that they would not relinquish. Both freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson and Munn scored in the final minute as Academy of Art pushed its largest lead of the day, 55-44, heading into the fourth.

"Tenacious defense is part of our identity," Evans said. "At halftime, we talked about who we are as a team and staying committed to playing with intensity on the defensive end. Milan was the spark plug off the bench who changed the dynamics of the game with her pressure on defense."

Though Sonoma State had cut the margin down to seven at 60-53, ART U would not allow the Seawolves to score for the final four minutes while baskets by Rodgers, Krupa, and Stuart contributed to an 8-0 run to finish off the 68-53 victory.

Academy of Art will head into PacWest play with a 3-3 record after Stuart's 16 points came on a 4-for-9 shooting effort from distance along with three steals and two blocks. Rodgers' 15 points tied her season-high while Krupa's third double-double took the form of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Munn added nine points and three steals.

Also on the eve of conference play, Sonoma State moves to 1-5 with the day's result as Cielo Gonzalez put up a team-high 11 points plus six rebounds.

"This week, playing against San Jose State and Sonoma gave us really good momentum going into conference," Evans said. "We played a very challenging non-conference schedule to prepare us for gritty PacWest play."

ART U will have a week to prepare for its first PacWest opponent, Dominican, whom the Knights are set to host Saturday, Dec. 4 inside Walter Gleason Gym at 1 p.m.