Game #24
ART U Urban Knights (14-9, 11-5 PacWest) vs. Biola Eagles (16-8, 12-5 PacWest)
Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Live Video

Game #25
ART U Urban Knights (14-9, 11-5 PacWest) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (7-13, 4-11 PacWest)
Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 2 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats | Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART TO HONOR SENIORS AHEAD OF REMATCHES WITH BU, FPU
Two more Pacific West Conference rematches and Senior Night are on tap for Academy of Art women's basketball this week as the Urban Knights, winners of three straight, continue to contend for the upper end of seeding in the PacWest Conference Tournament during the final week of the regular season. Prior to a crucial matchup with Biola this Thursday, ART U will honor its senior class of guard/forward Ladun Akako and guard Chanel Stuart then this Saturday pits Academy of Art against Fresno Pacific for the second time in less than a week.

TIP-OFF
ART U's final home game of the season comes up this Thursday, Feb. 24 as the Urban Knights host Biola at 5 p.m. inside Walter Gleason Gym with a special Senior Night ceremony taking place prior to tip-off. On Saturday, Feb. 26, Academy of Art returns to Fresno Pacific's Special Events Center for a 2 p.m. rematch with the Sunbirds. 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
With two games left in the regular season, ART U still leads the PacWest in rebounds (44.1), offensive rebounds (18.4), and steals (12.5) per game while adding the highest turnover margin (4.3) and second-most blocks (5.4) per contest. Among NCAA Division II programs, the Urban Knights are third in offensive rebounds, fifth in blocks, 11th in rebounds, and 13th in steals per game.

Currently top nine in four major career stat categories at ART U, junior guard Chanel Stuart has had a major impact on the program in her time as an Urban Knight including her unforgettable 42-point performance on Jan. 15. She ranks third in the PacWest in three-point field goals made per game (2.3) and is fifth in steals (2.2) while adding a team-high 11.7 points per contest (11th in PacWest). In terms of her ART U career, Stuart is fourth in 3-pointers made (105), seventh in steals (119), eighth in points (699), and ninth in rebounds (383).

With double-digit rebounds in 10 of her last 12 games, freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson is more than a full rebound ahead of the next closest as the PacWest leader with 11.1 rebounds (5.0 on the offensive glass) and 1.7 blocks per game, ranking 14th and 45th in the country in those categories. With 13 total in her two games this past week, the Pomona native's offensive rebounding average is up to third in NCAA DII and, with her 9.5 points per game (boosted by a season-high 22 versus Hawaii Pacific on Feb. 17), she now has 12 double-doubles on the year to rank 25th in the nation.

Next after Wilson in scoring average are the duo of junior guard Lauryn Manns and freshman guard Brooke Rodgers (each at 9.0 points per game) with the former erupting for a season-high 24 points in the overtime win against Fresno Pacific on Feb. 20. Helping the team lead the conference in steals, freshman guard Milan Tuttle has risen to seventh in with an average of 2.0 thefts per game (logging three or more in seven of her last nine games), freshman guard Alyssa Munn and Rodgers both follow tied at ninth (1.9), Wilson is 12th (1.8), and while Manns (1.4) checks in at 17th in the conference. One of three in the PacWest averaging 1.0 blocks per contest or higher, freshman forward/center Christy Ojide (1.0) remains third in the PacWest in that category.

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. She added a .451 field goal percentage with four double-doubles.

EXPLAINING THE EAGLES
Since falling to Academy of Art 83-61 on Jan. 27, Biola has gone 6-2 with sweeps of Concordia and Point Loma as well as a 55-51 victory over Azusa Pacific (ranked No. 6 at the time) on Feb. 19 to currently sit fourth in the PacWest standings. The Eagles, who play Holy Names on Feb. 22, lead the conference in scoring defense (opponents scoring 59.6 points per game) and are second in opponent field goal percentage (.354). The team is led by Amiah Simmons' 17.5 points per game (fourth in PacWest) as well as the defensive tandem of Aysia Johnson (2.5) and Laila Walker (2.1) who each rank inside the conference's top six in steals per game. ART U's two wins in the previous two matchups have them back of Biola 4-2 in the historical series.

IN THE FRES-KNOW
The Knights' most recent opponent in a 69-67 overtime battle Academy of Art won, Fresno Pacific will host Hawaii Pacific on Feb. 22 prior to meeting ART U this weekend. The game with HPU will prove tremendously important toward the final spot in the PacWest Tournament as both teams are vying to gain entry. Felicia Dourva, who had a team-high 16 points against the Knights last weekend, ranks second on the team at 9.6 points per game behind Rachel Berry's 10.2 points per contest though the latter has not played since Jan. 15. The historical series between Academy of Art and FPU could not get any closer as it is tied 9-9 approaching the next clash.

ALL KNIGHTS CONTRIBUTE IN GUTSY OVERTIME WIN OVER FPU
After leading by double digits four minutes into a Feb. 20 Pacific West Conference matchup, Academy of Art women's basketball held a lead until late in the third quarter when Fresno Pacific completed a comeback that ultimately forced overtime. Layups and free throws ended up being the difference in a 69-67 final as ART U, the designated home team, fended off the Sunbirds despite the game taking place inside FPU's Special Events Center. Every Urban Knight to play in the contest scored, notched at least one steal, and at least three rebounds.

LOOKING AHEAD
With its seeding determined following this final week of the regular season, Academy of Art will shift its focus to the PacWest Conference Championship Tournament slated to be hosted by Fresno Pacific on Mar. 3-5.