Game #16
ART U Urban Knights (9-6, 6-2 PacWest) vs. Biola Eagles (10-5, 6-2 PacWest)
Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 5 p.m.
La Mirada, Calif. – Chase Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #17
ART U Urban Knights (9-6, 6-2 PacWest) vs. No. 3 Azusa Pacific Cougars (13-1, 9-0 PacWest)
Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 1:15 p.m.
Azusa, Calif. – Felix Event Center
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #18
ART U Urban Knights (9-6, 6-2 PacWest) vs. Holy Names Hawks (0-14, 0-6 PacWest)
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Oakland, Calif. – Tobin Gymnasium
Live Stats & Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART RETURNS TO ACTION AGAINST EAGLES, COUGARS, HAWKS
Sitting now second in the Pacific West Conference with six conference wins thus far, Academy of Art women's basketball makes its way to Southern California to face the other two PacWest teams inside the top three in the standings before hosting Holy Names early next week.

TIP-OFF
The Urban Knights begin this week with a Thursday, Jan. 27 matchup versus Biola inside the Eagles' Chase Gymnasium in La Mirada at 5:30 p.m. Two days later on Saturday, Jan. 29, ART U faces No. 3 Azusa Pacific for the first time this season, tipping off at 1:15 p.m. inside Felix Event Center. Back in the Bay Area, Academy of Art will serve as the home team when the Knights host Holy Names inside Tobin Gymnasium in Oakland. All times and venues are subject to change. 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
Academy of Art is holding its opponents to just 58.9 points per game (second in PacWest) in addition to pacing the conference in rebounds (44.5), offensive rebounds (17.9), steals (12.07), and blocks (6.0) per game while up to second in turnover margin (3.53). Among NCAA Division II programs, ART U is third in blocks, seventh in offensive rebounds, 11th in rebounds, and 23rd in steals per game.

A week removed from being named PacWest Player of the Week, junior guard Chanel Stuart is just two games removed from a historic performance where she broke the program scoring and 3-pointers made records with 42 points including 10 triples versus Hawaii Pacific on Jan. 15. She is the conference leader in steals per game (2.3) in addition to ranking fifth in three-point field goals made per game (2.5) and 12th in scoring (12.2 points per game). The Elk Grove, Calif. native has also broken the top 10 in several ART U career categories including fourth in 3-pointers made (98), eighth in steals (112), and ninth in both points (660) and rebounds (367).

A two-time PacWest Defender of the Week thus far, freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson is on top of the conference with 1.9 blocks and 10.6 rebounds per game with 4.6 of the latter coming on the offensive glass. She ranks sixth in the country in offensive rebounds, 18th in rebounds, and 33rd in blocks per game with six double-doubles to date after a pair on the islands.

Both junior guard Lauryn Manns (8.5) and freshman guard Brooke Rodgers (8.2) are averaging over 8.0 points per game and both are among the six Urban Knights who rank in the PacWest's top 21 at 1.4 and 1.9 steals per contest respectively. Freshman guard Alyssa Munn, who is 11th in that category (1.6), adds the seventh-best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) and is eighth in assists per game (3.1). Freshman forward/center Christy Ojide recorded six blocks in Hawaii and now ranks third in the conference at 1.1 blocks per contest in addition to sitting 14th in rebounds per game (5.5).

Through eight games played, graduate student guard Joy Krupa put up 11.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.9 steals per game (sixth in PacWest). She added a .451 field goal percentage with four double-doubles.

THE BIOLA BIO
After starting the season 6-2 overall, Biola sustained back-to-back losses to Azusa Pacific and Dominican prior to the December break. Since the calendar flipped to 2022, the Eagles have won all three of their PacWest games including a pair against Hawaii Pacific. BU ranks among the top three in the conference in numerous statistical categories including second in assists (16.5) and free throw percentage (.747) as well as third in scoring offense (70.5 points per game), scoring defense (opponents held to 61.9 points per game), and field goal percentage (.417). The trio of Amiah Simmons (17.6), Stephanie Lee (12.5), and Jordan Rabe (12.1) all rank among the PacWest's top 13 in points per game with Rabe's .550 field goal percentage at the top. In just five meetings since 2017, Biola leads the historical matchup with ART U 4-1.

INSIDE THE ZU
Defending West Region Champions No. 3 Azusa Pacific has held a top 10 WBCA national ranking for virtually the entire season, winning its first three games before its lone loss, a 73-57 result against Western Washington, broke up an otherwise perfect season. The Cougars are undefeated through nine PacWest games with no contest closer than APU's seven-point win over Dominican on Jan. 1. In Azusa Pacific's last three games prior to a Jan. 27 matchup with Hawaii Pacific, the Cougars hold a 38-point margin of victory. APU paces the conference in numerous statistical categories most notably with a .397 three-point field goal percentage (second in NCAA DII), 78.7 points per game (15th in NCAA DII), 18.0 assists per contest (third in NCAA DII), and a 1.41 assist-to-turnover ratio (third in NCAA DII). Kayla Shaw ranks third in the PacWest in scoring (18.9 points per game) while the tandem of Paige Uyehara (5.5) and Alex Lowden (3.9) are first and tied for second in assists per contest. The Cougars are up 10-3 on Academy of Art in the historical series.

FAMILIAR NAMES
Holy Names remains in search of its first win of the season after falling to Fresno Pacific, Concordia, and Azusa Pacific over its next three games after ART U topped the Hawks 67-41 on Jan. 8. HNU is slated to face Dominican twice by the month's conclusion prior to meeting Academy of Art on Feb. 1. Jayden Benitez is the team's top scorer and rebounder at 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. The Knights' win over Holy Names earlier this season was sixth in seven meetings since December 2017 and pushed the former's lead to 13-5 all-time.

INSPIRED DEFENSE LEADS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TO 70-59 TRIUMPH
Embracing its opportunity to compete on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Academy of Art women's basketball scored 19 points off 26 turnovers and never trailed on its way to a 70-59 PacWest victory over Chaminade. Four Urban Knights scored in double figures, seven recorded at least one steal, and 20 offensive rebounds helped the team produce 18 second chance points inside McCabe Gym as ART U completed its Hawaii road trip with two consecutive wins.

LOOKING AHEAD
In the later part of next week, Academy of Art will meet Dominican in San Rafael on Feb. 5 then turn around and host Concordia in Oakland on Feb. 6 as part of a makeup game from earlier in January.