Game #11
ART U Urban Knights (2-8, 1-3 PacWest) vs. Hawaii Pacific Sharks (3-5, 1-1 PacWest)
Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 1 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #12
ART U Urban Knights (2-8, 1-3 PacWest) vs. Westmont Warriors (5-7, 2-3 PacWest)
Friday, January 5, 2024 at Noon
Montecito, Calif. – Murchison Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

START TO NEW YEAR FEATURES SHARKS, WARRIORS
Following a 15-day break from competition, Academy of Art women's basketball returns to Pacific West Conference action as host to Hawaii Pacific in the early part of the new calendar year's first week before facing Westmont in Southern California three days later.

TIP-OFF
In the Bay Area and specifically Kezar Pavilion on Tuesday, Jan. 2, ART U opens 2023 by facing Hawaii Pacific at 1 p.m. A five-part road swing will then start Friday, Jan. 5 inside Westmont's Murchison Gymnasium at noon in Montecito. 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
Demonstrating success in multiple defensive stat categories, Academy of Art ranks second in the PacWest in blocks per game (3.2) as well as third in steals per contest (8.7). On the offensive end, the Urban Knights currently have a tandem of double-digit scorers in sophomore guard Alba Rovira Ayuso (12.9 points per game, fifth in PacWest) and freshman guard Lucia Revenga (10.0 points per game). Rovira Ayuso has led the team in scoring in each of the last two contests while Revenga is tied with freshman guard Anna Fornells in averaging 1.9 steals per contest (seventh in PacWest).

Junior forward/center Christy Ojide, who is leading ART U in rebounding at 6.2 rebounds per game (11th in PacWest) and fourth on the team in scoring average (7.7 points per game), continues to close in on the Academy of Art career blocks record. Her 1.3 blocks per contest (at least one in eight of her 10 games played) are third in the conference and she now has 71 rejections her three seasons, putting her just five from Katy Wade's program record (76).

Freshman guard Maddie Morrow has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in all 10 of her games played this year and has taken over the top spot in the PacWest in three-point field goal percentage (.333) while putting up 2.0 per contest (third in PacWest) to support 7.3 points per game.

THE SHARK ATTACK
After going 1-4 in its first five contests of the season, Hawaii Pacific collected victories in two of its past games, defeating Westmont 57-32 and Carroll College 49-46 in December. The Sharks have shown a strong defensive front, leading the PacWest and ranking third in NCAA Division II in blocks per game (6.3) while allowing opponents to score just 62.8 points per game (fourth in PacWest). HPU, who also paces the conference in free throw percentage (.705), has relied on Erika Glenn's 11.4 points per game as well as Megan Jones' 3.9 blocks per contest (first in PacWest, second in NCAA DII). After Hawaii Pacific claimed both wins against ART U last season, the Sharks lead the all-time matchup 17-8.

WEEKEND WARRIORS
Westmont defeated both Simon Fraser and Westcliff in a 2-1 start to the year then captured its first PacWest victory, a 66-60 result over Chaminade, to close out November at 4-3 overall. The Warriors would secure just one more win in the five games that followed, falling to Biola, Point Loma, and Cal Poly Pomona most recently. A Dec. 30 matchup with Dominican remains ahead of the Jan. 5 first-ever pairing with Academy of Art as Westmont has looked to solid percentages at the foul line (.692, third in PacWest) and three-point line (.313, fourth in PacWest) for its success. Sage Kramer's 11.4 points (14th in PacWest) and 6.8 rebounds (eighth in PacWest) per game lead WC while Kate Goostrey provides 3.8 assists per contest (second in PacWest).

CALENDAR YEAR CONCLUDES WITH CUI FENDING OFF ARTU LATE
Five different Urban Knights scored to lead a 23-6 comeback run that bridged the second and third quarters, but despite a four-point lead for Academy of Art women's basketball midway through the third, Concordia came back to shoot 50 percent from the field in the fourth en route to an 85-63 Pacific West Conference win inside its own CU Arena on Dec. 18.

LOOKING AHEAD
The second week of the new calendar year will mark a three-part road trip to Hawaii that includes stops at Hawaii Pacific (Jan. 11), Chaminade (Jan. 13), and UH Hilo (Jan. 15).