LA MIRADA, Calif. – Academy of Art women's basketball played relentless defense in Thursday's matchup of two teams with identical Pacific West Conference records coming in. Using key runs in the second and third quarters, the Urban Knights put away Biola 83-61 thanks in large part to a season-high 20 steals and 30 points off 28 Eagles turnovers inside Chase Gymnasium. One of four ART U competitors with three or more thefts, freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson was everywhere in the contest, finishing with 14 points, 13 rebounds, five steals, and five blocks.

"I'm extremely proud of our defensive intensity," said Head Coach Krystle Evans. "Coming out of quarantine, we knew that our defensive intensity would be key to willing us to a victory with our offense being rusty."

An early advantage for Biola was quickly ended when Wilson hit a jumper and freshman guard Alyssa Munn knocked down a 3-pointer to give ART U a 14-9 lead with an 8-0 run. Highlighted by a triple from freshman guard Milan Tuttle, the Knights closed the first quarter on a 12-3 surge to gain a 26-16 margin, ultimately scoring 13 points off eight turnovers in the frame.

Wilson's fifth consecutive made basket to start the game helped keep the double-digit lead briefly to start the second, but a 17-3 response from the Eagles had them playing their best basketball of the night now with a 35-31 advantage. However, Academy of Art came right back with steals on three consecutive possessions as a 9-0 run ensued. When the dust had settled, the Knights were up 40-36 heading into halftime.

"Our mental fortitude and determination led to a big run in the second quarter," Evans said. "We condition hard to play uptempo for 40 minutes; it takes total commitment to our identity to play through fatigue and make runs when our opponents are fatigued."

Biola's hopes for a second half comeback were quickly dashed as Munn scored the first two baskets of the third quarter before she and junior guard Chanel Stuart worked in tandem offensively to build a 56-38 lead on a 12-0 game-changing push. Both redshirt freshman Kaila Murrell and redshirt sophomore Hailey McCoy added 3-pointers of their own before the scoreboard favored ART U 66-48 moving to the fourth.

Another Wilson layup and stunning bank shot triple by Stuart at the end of the shot clock forced a 20-point margin for the Knights at 73-53 and the final read 83-61 as Academy of Art achieved its highest point total of the season with the victory.

Now in sole possession of second place in the PacWest standings, ART U is 10-6 overall and 7-2 in conference action with five wins through six games in 2022 including three straight. The Knights' leading scorer was Stuart with 17 points including five 3-pointers (three in the final quarter) and three steals while Munn contributed 15 points plus five rebounds and four steals. Wilson's seventh double-double of the season included 13 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, 13 rebounds, five steals, and five blocks off the bench.

Freshman guard Brooke Rodgers finished with 11 points, a season-high six assists, four rebounds, and two steals to complement fellow starter Tuttle who had nine points (including a season-high three triples), five rebounds, plus season-highs of four assists and four steals. On the whole, ART U's 20 steals ranked eighth in program history.

After being forced into a season-high 28 turnovers, Biola drops to 10-6 overall and 6-3 in PacWest play, assuming the third spot in the standings. Amiah Simmons and Natasa Radovic shared the team's top scoring marks with 13 points apiece.

The Urban Knights next match up with No. 3 Azusa Pacific for the first time this season on Saturday, Jan. 29 for a 1:15 p.m. tipoff inside the Cougars' Felix Event Center.

"We were disappointed not being able to play Tuesday because we had really good momentum leaving Hawaii," Evans said. "The way we responded to adversity today is the mindset we need going into Saturday's game. APU is one of the best teams in the country and today's game was critical in terms of giving us the confidence we need going into Saturday's game."