Box Score

Photo Gallery (images by Emily Anderson)

San Rafael, CA -- Academy of Art women's basketball fought back against a first half deficit to Humboldt State with an 18-7 run, but the Lumberjacks managed to hold on for the 68-54 victory inside Conlan Rec Center on Saturday afternoon. In the Urban Knights' final game of the CCAA/PacWest Challenge, senior guard Lorraine Etchell and sophomore forward Alisa Griggs each contributed 12 points apiece while junior forward Ariel Dale added 10 points along with a game-high eight rebounds.

“The first half we came out sluggish and I think we had the mentality that we were content with last night's victory,” head coach LaNay Larson said. “That's what we're trying to change right now because the goals we have are different than being just a .500 team. I think we expressed that at halftime, but it was just too hard to come back from 20-point deficit. The energy and effort were there in the second half and you need that especially when your shots aren't falling. You've got to have that pressure on the defensive end and we didn't have that in the first half. Humboldt is a good team so, against them, you've got to have a full 40 minutes of effort and energy.”

Both teams struggled to find a rhythm in the early going, combining for 10 turnovers in the first five minutes.  From being tied 7-7, Humboldt State opened up a lead via a 10-2 run capped off by a breakaway layup from Lisa Petty. The Jacks would grow their advantage to 15 points, but Academy of Art used hustle plays to regain some momentum.

Following a block by junior center Juliua Fraser and a jumper from Etchell, Dale drove and dished to Griggs for a layup at the five minute mark. The Jacks, however, continued their hot shooting and would finish the first half up 42-22 after going 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.

The Knights began work on the deficit early in the second half with a deep two by junior guard Nicol Biesek followed by a triple from Etchell. Biesek would soon knock down another 3-pointer as ART U continued to battle back. With the margin at 17, Griggs sparked an 8-1 charge via her jumper and soon strong Academy of Art defense created two consecutive easy baskets for London.  The Knights now looked at just a 10-point deficit, 61-51, and 1:42 to go, but one final offensive push by HSU ended things at 68-54.

ART U, now 1-1 on the year, had a team-high 12 points from both Griggs and Etchell as well as 10 points and eight rebounds from Dale. London added seven points while Biesek contributed across the board with six points, five rebounds, two blocks, two assists, and one steal. Academy of Art scored 13 points off turnovers during their improved second half.

“The positive is that we didn't fold at halftime and that we had solid effort,” Coach Larson said. “We were just tentative offensively in the first half. Then, in the second half, we did a better job of attacking the basket, finding their shooters, and defending.”

For Humboldt, Caitie Richards put in four 3-pointers in the opening half and would finish with 17 points, but she did not connect from long range in the second period. Matching her teammate, Petty also had 17 points. However, the game's leading scorer was Whitney Howard who posted 19 points and five rebounds.

ART U remains on the road for its next game at Cal State Monterey Bay on Tuesday. The Urban Knights and Otters are scheduled to tip off inside Otter Sports Center at 7:00 PM.