Game #5
ART U Urban Knights (4-0) vs. Sonoma State Seawolves (1-3)
Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 6 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #6
ART U Urban Knights (3-0) vs. Chico State Wildcats (3-1)
Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 1 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

TRIP TO SONOMA, SECOND HOME GAME VERSUS WILDCATS ON TAP FOR KNIGHTS
Continuing its non-conference season with two more California Collegiate Athletic Association opponents, Academy of Art women's basketball puts its undefeated start to the year on the line against Sonoma State and Chico State this week.

TIP-OFF
Inside The Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park, the Urban Knights will meet Sonoma State at 6 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 21. Academy of Art will then return to Kezar Pavilion on Saturday, Nov. 23 for a 1 p.m. tip-off hosting Chico State two days later. 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
One of three undefeated teams in the Pacific West Conference thus far, ART U has bested SF State (Nov. 8), Cal State Monterey Bay (Nov. 9), Cal Maritime (Nov. 12), and Stanislaus State (Nov. 16) coming into this week. Efficient scoring in the form of the second-most points per game (75.8) in the PacWest and third-most assists per contest (15.8) has combined with the conference's lowest opponent field goal percentage (.311) and the highest rebounds per game average (46.5) as Academy of Art has been excelling everywhere, adding 9.8 steals per game (fourth in PacWest) as well.

Four different Urban Knights have been the team's leading scorer in a game thus far, yielding eight individuals with averages above 5.0 points per game. Junior guard Alba Rovira Ayuso's 13.8 points per contest currently rank 12th in the conference while she joins sophomore guard Maddie Morrow among the PacWest's top six in 3-pointers made per game (both 2.5). Morrow has nine triples made in her last two games which includes six as part of a season-best 18 points against Stan State. Senior forward/center Christy Ojide Boiko comes off two strong performances to put her third in the PacWest in field goal percentage (.567) and fourth in rebounds per contest (8.5) in addition to joining two of her teammates, sophomore guards Anna Fornells (2.5, fourth) and Lucia Revenga (1.8), among the conference's top 16 in steals per game. Meanwhile, the PacWest has just eight individuals putting up more than 1.0 blocks per contest and freshman forward Keira Mitchell is among those eight still at 1.3 including at least one in every game thus far.

(SEA)WOLVES WATCH
Picked to finish fifth in the CCAA after going 16-14 last year, Sonoma State is off to a slow start with just one win in its first four contests. SSU opened the season with a double-digit victory over Dominican yet has since fallen to Fresno Pacific, Jessup, and Menlo. The trio of Alysa Lopez (11.8), Jayme Blackard (10.8), and Madisyn Clark (9.3) have shouldered the offensive load for the Seawolves thus far with Blackard adding 6.8 rebounds per contest. In the historical matchup with ART U, it has been Sonoma State victorious in four of six meetings to date.

HELLO, CHICO
Chico State, who went 21-10 last season and reached both the CCAA title game and NCAA West Regionals, came into the year picked to finish fourth in the CCAA and has started strong with a 3-1 record to this point. Wins over Fresno Pacific, Dominican, and Menlo had the Wildcats also undefeated to open the season before a low-scoring 48-44 loss to Jessup changed that. Balanced offensively, Chico State has four Wildcats averaging 10.0 or more points per game paced by Jordan Allred (15.0) who adds a .476 three-point field goal percentage and averages 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest as well. With just one meeting in the past 14 years, Chico State is ahead of Academy of Art 2-0 historically.

17 TRIPLES POWER WOMEN'S HOOPS TO 89-57 WIN OVER WARRIORS
Scorching shooting combined with unselfish play on Nov. 16 as four different Urban Knights knocking down a 3-pointer in the opening quarter was a sign of things to come as the second-most triples in program history (17, from six different players) would yield an 89-57 win over Stanislaus State. Sophomore guard Maddie Morrow led the charge with 18 points on six 3-pointers as Academy of Art women's basketball never trailed past the opening three minutes of action inside Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena.

LOOKING AHEAD
One more non-conference game, a Dec. 1 afternoon matchup hosting UC Merced, is on the docket for ART U before the start of PacWest play against Vanguard on Dec. 5 in San Francisco.