Game #18
ART U Urban Knights (11-6, 7-3 PacWest) vs. UH Hilo Vulcans (13-7, 6-4 PacWest)
Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. HT (9:30 p.m. PT)
Hilo, Hawaii – Vulcan Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #19
ART U Urban Knights (11-6, 7-3 PacWest)) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (12-9, 6-8 PacWest)
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 at 4 p.m. HT (6 p.m. PT)
Honolulu – McCabe Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

HOT STREAK
Looking to continue their current three-game win streak, Academy of Art men's basketball will look to use their momentum in their upcoming road contests out on the islands, taking on the duo of UH Hilo and Chaminade.

TIP-OFF
Thursday's tip time with the Vulcans is set for 7:30 p.m. HT (9:30 p.m. PT) on Jan. 30, while Saturday's showdown with the Silverswords gets underway beginning at 4 p.m. HT (6 p.m. PT) on Feb. 1. 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
Playing in their third overtime game and picking up a big 91-89 Pacific West Conference victory this past week against Menlo on Jan. 25, the Urban Knights didn't just see redshirt junior guard Donovan Vickers come out with a big performance nailing the game-winner, as five other members of ART U joined Vickers in double-digit scoring. With the fourth double-double for senior forward Quintin Metcalf this season, the 6-8 big man not only racked up 14 points and 10 rebounds, but additionally contributed a huge defensive showing with four blocks and three steals in the contest as well. 

Joining the duo in double-digit scoring were senior guard Rodney Munson who led the way with 20 points and 5-for-7 shooting from three-point range, senior guard Treylon Payne (15), senior forward Isaiah Williams (14), and junior forward Robbie Armbrester (10). The game additionally saw the fourth-most rebounds from the squad this season (39). 

All across the conference rankings, ART U leads the pack in field goal percentage shooting .474 as a unit, while the Knights give up the second-lowest opponent field goal percentage (.409). Additionally as a team, ART U ranks first in blocked shots per game (4.6), while that average gets them to 20th in the NCAA Division II ranks. In the individual PacWest leaderboards, Munson (sixth) and Williams (seventh) are among the top scorers, while Metcalf is up there in rebounds (second) and blocks (third).

VALIANT VULCANS
The current fourth-place ranking Vulcans will enter their home contest with ART U with a 13-7 overall and 6-4 conference record looking to bounce back after their 64-62 loss to Point Loma this past weekend. Before dropping their most recent contest, UH Hilo were paced by a four-game win streak with all being conference victories. The highest-ranking defense in the Vulcans are giving up just 67.0 points per game to their opponents, while additionally holding the biggest margin in the conference (+10.1 ppg) as the team scores 77.1 ppg as a unit. Leading the team in scoring average is Julio Montes II with an average of 14.4 ppg, while Jake Kosakowski is right behind with an average of 13.3 ppg. Down low, Nadjrick Peat is the one to look out for as he collects the most rebounds in the conference (2.2 per game) and the fourth-most rebounds, collecting 8.2 per game. Confident in their ability to take down UH Hilo, ART U will look to collect their sixth straight victory against the Vulcans as the Knights lead the all-time series 14-9.

CHALLENGING CHAMINADE
The 12-9 overall and 6-8 in conference Silverswords will battle one time before their challenge against ART U, taking on Dominican this upcoming Thursday two days prior. Before the contest with the Penguins, Chaminade has struggled to find success as the team has lost five straight, all against PacWest opponents with an average scoring margin of -12.8 in that timeframe. Nonetheless, Chaminade still manages to average the best offensive performances on average over the course of the season scoring 85.1 points per game, although they have not reached that average in the squad's last seven contests. With five players averaging double-digit points, Amound Anderson racks up the most with 14.1 ppg, while Jamir Thomas (13.9 ppg) and Jackson Last (13.8 ppg) are right there with him, proving buckets can come from all angles on the Silverswords. While Chaminade leads the all-time series 21-9, ART U has been on top most recently as the Knights have taken down wins in the last four showings.

OT GAME-WINNER BY VICKERS LEADS ART U TO WIN OVER MENLO
Taking down Menlo and halting their five-game win streak in their first Pacific West Conference contest against one another, Academy of Art men's basketball came out with the 91-89 overtime triumph on Jan. 25 as Donovan Vickers played hero drilling the game-winner.

LOOKING AHEAD
After the Hawaii trip, the Knights will return home for four straight contests, starting with Dominican on Feb. 5 and Menlo once again on Feb. 8.