Game #8
ART U Urban Knights (3-4, 0-1 PacWest) vs. Concordia Eagles (5-3, 2-1 PacWest)
Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 5 p.m.
Irvine, Calif. – CU Arena
Live Stats & Live Video

Game #9
ART U Urban Knights (3-3, 0-0 PacWest) vs. Point Loma Sea Lions (6-3, 2-1 PacWest)
Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 1 p.m.
San Diego – Golden Gymnasium
Live Stats & Live Video

Game #10
ART U Urban Knights (3-4) vs. No. 10 Western Washington Vikings (7-0)
Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 6 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART CHALLENGES EAGLES, SEA LIONS, VIKINGS IN COMING WEEK
It will be a busy upcoming stretch for Academy of Art women's basketball as the Urban Knights embark upon their first Pacific West Conference roadtrip to Southern California for matchups with Concordia and Point Loma before returning to the Bay Area to host No. 10 Western Washington early next week.

TIP-OFF
ART U opens its three games in six days against Concordia in Irvine this Thursday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. inside CU Arena. On Saturday, Dec. 11, the Knights face Point Loma inside Golden Gymnasium in San Diego at 1 p.m. Academy of Art's final non-conference matchup follows on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. back inside Walter Gleason Gym in Belmont. 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
The Urban Knights' calling card continues to be rebounds (45.7), offensive rebounds (19.3), blocks (6.9), and steals per game (12.7) as well as the lowest opponent points per game (60.0), all stat categories it leads in the PacWest. Among NCAA Division II programs, ART U is solely first in blocks, sixth in offensive rebounds, 20th in steals, and 14th in rebounds per game.

Leading the team both offensively and defensively, graduate student guard Joy Krupa enters this week averaging 12.9 points (12th in PacWest), 9.9 rebounds (third in PacWest), 2.7 assists (12th in PacWest), 2.4 blocks (first in PacWest, 13th in NCAA DII), and 2.0 steals per game (tied for fifth in PacWest). She adds the conference's seventh-highest field goal percentage (.456) and four double-doubles thus far.

Sporting the top rebounding average on the team at 11.1 boards per contest (23rd in NCAA DII), freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson adds the squad's highest field goal percentage (.481) along with 2.1 blocks (tied for 25th in NCAA DII) and 8.1 points per game. She ranks ninth in the country in offensive rebounds per contest (4.7) with four double-doubles.

Krupa and Wilson are among Academy of Art's five players averaging 8.0 points per contest or more with junior guard Lauryn Manns (8.4), freshman guard Brooke Rodgers (8.4), and junior guard Chanel Stuart (8.3). Rodgers is tied with Krupa for the fifth-highest steals per game average (2.0) in the conference and freshman forward/center Christy Ojide remains tied for seventh in the PacWest with 0.9 blocks per contest.

EYES ON THE EAGLES
After opening the season with three straight wins, Concordia fell in three straight including a 10-point loss to Simon Fraser before closing its Hawaii roadtrip with PacWest victories over Chaminade and UH Hilo most recently. The Eagles rank in the middle of the PacWest in most statistical categories but are first in free throw percentage (.750) and second in rebounding margin (4.3) thanks in large part to both Michaela Vandeklugt (9.1) and Savannah Felix-Amoroso (7.6) ranking among the conference's top 10 in rebounds per game. The former of that duo averages 18.9 points per game (fourth in PacWest) while Jasmine Rachal adds 17.0 points per contest (sixth in PacWest). Powered by four wins in the two teams' first four meetings, ART U is 5-3 all-time against CUI.

SEA LIONS' ROAR
Winners of three of its first four games and thanks to a three-game win streak that included an 81-75 win over Simon Fraser before two victories in Hawaii, Point Loma will come into Saturday's matchup with the highest field goal percentage in the PacWest (.441) as well as the top rebounding margin (7.4). Cara Liggins contributes to both of those numbers, averaging 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest (both ninth in PacWest) while Haylee Saurette adds 13.1 points plus 6.9 rebounds per game (both 11th in PacWest). PLNU has gained a 9-6 advantage in the historical matchup with Academy of Art after recording wins over the last four years.

VIKING QUEST
Undefeated through its opening seven contests and ranked No. 10 nationally, Western Washington already boasts wins over No. 5 Azusa Pacific and No. 19 Cal State San Marcos (on back-to-back days no less). The Vikings will be coming off a 22-point victory over Simon Fraser and have nine days without a competition as they approach Tuesday's matchup with ART U. Offensively, WWU is led by Emma Duff's 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game plus two players shooting over 61 percent from the field in Truitt Reilly (.619) and Avery Dykstra (.611). Next week will be the Vikings and Knights' third meeting to date with the former up 2-0 all-time.

SIX KNIGHTS SCORE IN DOUBLE FIGURES, DOMINICAN WINS 70-66
The first Pacific West Conference matchup for Academy of Art women's basketball in 2021-22 proved to be a tale of two halves as ART U led Dominican 38-31 at halftime, but could not overcome the Penguins' second-half comeback for a 70-66 final. Six Urban Knights scored in double figures for the first time since breaking the program scoring record on Dec. 31, 2019 and the team had a chance to tie with 11 seconds but the shot did not fall inside Walter Gleason Gym on Dec. 4.

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U will play just one more contest in the 2021 calendar year with Chaminade coming to the Bay Area for a Dec. 19 matchup.