Game #22
ART U Urban Knights (6-15, 6-10 PacWest) vs. Dominican Penguins (14-10, 12-5 PacWest)
Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 1 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Live Video

KNIGHTS AND PENGUINS TO MEET IN FIRST OF TWO FEBRUARY BATTLES
With a historic defensive performance versus Biola now in its rear view, Academy of Art women's basketball gets set to open its final Pacific West Conference homestand of the season with Dominican this weekend.

TIP-OFF
Returning to Walter Gleason Gym in Belmont this Saturday, Feb. 11, Academy of Art will host Dominican at 1 p.m. 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
After holding Biola to just 35 points (second-fewest in program history) and an opponent season-low .213 field goal percentage on Feb. 4, Academy of Art has risen to fourth in the PacWest in points allowed (61.5) while sitting fourth in the conference in steals per contest (8.5) and now fifth in blocks per game (2.4).

Still firmly ranking first in NCAA Division II with 5.6 offensive rebounds per game, sophomore forward/center Alisha Wilson enters this weekend with her fourth PacWest Defender of the Week selection after averaging 12.0 defensive rebounds and 4.0 steals in the Urban Knights' final regular season Southern California road trip. Only Central Washington's Samantha Bowman (14.7) is above Wilson in the national rankings for rebounds per game as the Communications & Media Technologies major is absorbing 14.3 boards per contest to go with 16.0 points per game (third in PacWest). With 14 double-doubles (seventh in NCAA DII) matching her total from her freshman year, Wilson's 28 recently broke the ART U career record originally set by Jasmin Guinn over four years. Though her double-double streak ended at 12 games, Wilson remains four away from breaking the program's single-season record of 17 set by Krystal Forthan in 2013-14. Wilson is also second in the PacWest in field goal percentage (.526) as well as second in steals (2.6) and fourth in blocks (1.1) per game.

Coming off a 19-point and nine-rebound effort versus BU, sophomore guard Jadence Clifton currently finds herself 12th in the PacWest at 12.0 points per game as well as 23rd in rebounds per game (5.1). She is also one of seven student-athletes in the conference averaging two or more steals per contest to go with 3.1 assists per game (ninth in PacWest). Following a pair of 12-point performances last week, senior guard Lauryn Manns is third on the squad with 8.7 points per game while sophomore forward/center Christy Ojide remains right behind Wilson in the conference's blocks per game list (1.0) at sixth, pairing that with 5.9 rebounds per contest (18th in PacWest).

PENGUIN POINTERS
Though Dominican started the season 3-7, the Penguins have gone 11-3 since, splitting two games in February by defeating Biola and falling to No. 18 Azusa Pacific after besting the Cougars back in December. In addition to offering the conference's fourth-highest scoring average (66.7 points per game), Dominican has picked up its wins primarily by way of a 6.17 turnover margin (16th in NCAA DII) fueled by 11.7 steals per game (20th in NCAA DII), both first in the PacWest. Brittney Cedeno has been a force for the Penguins on both ends, pacing NCAA DII with 4.3 steals per game, ranking third in rebounds per contest (7.8), and checking in at eighth in the PacWest in points per game (13.8). Though DU swept the season series last year, ART U remains firmly in front of the Penguins 19-9 all-time.

ART U LIMITS BIOLA TO JUST 35 POINTS IN PACWEST VICTORY
In one of the best defensive performances of not just the season but program history as well, Academy of Art women's basketball closed both the first and second halves strong, holding Biola to six and four points in the second and fourth quarters for a 49-35 Pacific West Conference victory inside Chase Gymnasium on Feb. 4. When the Urban Knights weren't keeping BU to the fewest points in a single quarter by an ART U opponent since the start of the format in 2015-16, Clifton and freshman guard Kyla Wandick were combining for 29 points while Wilson was busy matching her career-high of 22 rebounds.

LOOKING AHEAD
After this weekend, three more regular season games will remain for Academy of Art beginning with a rematch hosting Holy Names on Feb. 19.