Game #4
ART U Urban Knights (1-2) vs. Cal State Los Angeles Eagles (1-1)
Friday, November 25, 2011 at 3:00 PM MST (2:00 PM PST)
St. George, UT – Burns Arena
Live Stats
Live Video

Game #5
ART U Urban Knights (1-2) vs. Western Oregon Wolves (0-4)
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 12:00 PM MST (11:00 AM PST)
St. George, UT – Burns Arena
Live Stats
Live Video

ART U TO BATTLE CAL STATE LA AND WESTERN OREGON
Following a busy opening week of games, the Academy of Art women's basketball team is set to take the floor once again this weekend in an environment rather familiar to head coach LaNay Larson. A former assistant coach at Dixie State College, Coach Larson now returns as the leader of her own Urban Knights team that will face Cal State Los Angeles and Western Oregon as part of the Dixie State Thanksgiving Classic. This is the second of three non-conference tournaments ART U plays this season.

OPENING TIP
A day after Thursday's Thanksgiving celebration, the Knights will meet their fourth consecutive CCAA school in Cal State LA on Friday, Nov. 25. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM MST (2:00 PM PST). Then Academy of Art is in action against the GNAC's Western Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 12:00 PM MST (11:00 AM PST). All contests will take place inside Dixie State's Burns Arena and Live Stats as well as Live Video will be available. Remember to check @UrbanKnightNews on Twitter for score updates and recaps. Also become a fan of the Knights on Facebook by 'Like'-ing the Urban Knights page.

KNIGHT WATCH
In three games played this season, sophomore forward Alisa Griggs has led the team in scoring on each occasion. She is now averaging 13.3 points as well as 5.0 rebounds per game with 12 made free throws in 14 trips to the foul line. Griggs is one of three team captains who currently rank as ART U's scoring leaders. Senior guards Devin London (10.3 ppg) and Lorraine Etchell (8.0 ppg) are next behind Griggs. London also paces the team in steals (11) and three-point field goals made (4). Etchell, the only four-year player at Academy of Art to date, needs just 19 more points to become the all-time points leader for the program. The squad's top rebounder is junior guard Nicol Biesek with 6.8 rebounds per contest.

ELIMINATING THE EAGLES
After an 88-61 exhibition victory over Hope International to start the season, Cal State Los Angeles split in its first tournament, the CCAA/GNAC Challenge. On Nov. 18, CSULA defeated Western Oregon 69-62 behind 21 points from Tessondra Williams who has lived at the free throw line this year. The Eagles, however, would fall to Northwest Nazarene 87-80 the following day despite 27 points from Lacy Ramon and another 24 from Williams. Cal State LA, 1-1 thus far, was 4-18 in CCAA play last season with one win in its final 14 games of the year. Williams, the leading scorer on the squad, is a former All-Conference guard from Pierce College. She is averaging 22.5 points per game and receives the support of Ramon's 19.0 points per contest. When ART U and CSULA met to start the 2010-11 season, the Eagles barely edged out the Knights 73-69 in overtime after two buzzer beaters (one at halftime, one at end of regulation). Los Angeles holds a 2-0 record in games against Academy of Art.

WHALLOPING THE WOLVES
Opening the season with two exhibition contests against Division I opponents, Western Oregon took a pair of convincing losses to BYU and Boise State. Though the Wolves would defeat Linfield in their exhibition home opener, WOU has since fallen to Oregon State on Nov. 11, both Cal State LA and Cal Poly Pomona in the CCAA/GNAC Challenge (Nov. 18-19), and most recently Cal State San Marcos on Nov. 21 for a 0-4 record to start this year. Last season, the Wolves went 9-9 in the GNAC and ended up losing to Seattle Pacific in the first round of the conference tournament. Thus far, Rylee Peterson has been the lone star for Western Oregon, averaging 15.8 points (5th in GNAC) and 7.8 rebounds (8th in GNAC) per game. She also leads the team in blocks (8) and steals (7). WOU faces Dixie State prior to its first ever meeting with Academy of Art on Nov. 26.

ART U OUTSCORES OTTERS IN SECOND, CAN'T OVERCOME FIRST HALF DEFECIT
In their third game during a five-day span to start the year, the Urban Knights traveled to Seaside, CA to matchup with Cal State Monterey Bay, a NCAA Tournament qualifier last season. Though the Otters caught fire from distance in the first half and collected a sizeable lead, ART U was not about to simply roll over. Academy of Art responded by outplaying CSUMB in the second period by way of two separate scoring runs and some inspiring play from freshman center Alexandria Coleman who finished with eight points (4-of-4 from the floor). The Knights also turned to their captains' leadership during the burst with Griggs fighting her way to the foul line, London converting a key three-point play, and Etchell strengthening ART U's second half rebound advantage (19-14). Monterey Bay would win 82-58, but Academy of Art still showed it was capable of hanging with a national contender.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Knights' third and final tournament of the season, the AT&T Hoops Classic hosted by Alaska Anchorage, takes place Dec. 9-10 at the George M. Sullivan Arena. Academy of Art will take on both Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage in the tourney.