KNIGHT WATCH
Two games into the season, Academy of Art ranks #1 in the PacWest in field goal defense, holding opponents to 33.8 percent thus far. They are also leaders in rebounding offense (49.0 rpg) and much of that is due to their top ranking in defensive rebounding (32.0 rpg). Reigning PacWest Player and Newcomer of the Year Krystal Forthan is averaging 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while junior Jasmin Guinn has also made solid contributions at 11.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Four steals in the opening weekend put Guinn now third on the all-time career list (119).

Two more Urban Knights are regularly scoring in double figures with juniors Regina Camera (10.5 ppg) and Zoie Sheng (10.0 ppg) rounding out the list. This past weekend, Camera surpassed assistant coach Sondra Stilwell on the all-time scoring to take possession of third place with 698 total points. Sheng is one assist away from becoming the second ART U player to register 200 career assists and junior teammate Sha'Nice Storey also finds herself one 3-pointer away (99) from becoming the first Knight to reach triple digits in triples made in her three-year career. Off the bench, junior Caron Brown has already shown impressive rebounding prowess and ranks third in the PacWest in that category at 9.0 rpg.
 

A photo posted by Be Artist. Be Athlete. (@artu_knights) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:58am PST

BRONCOS BUCKLE TO START YEAR
Despite coming into the year ranked #2 in the entire NCAA Division II and a nearly unanimous choice to win the CCAA title once again, Cal Poly Pomona fell twice during its opening weekend, dropping contests to Point Loma and Azusa Pacific. Against the Sea Lions, the Broncos had a chance to tie in the waning seconds of a tightly-played matchup, but the 3-pointer by All-American Jada Blackwell did not fall. Blackwell went for a career-high 36 points the next day yet CPP dropped an 85-81 final to Azusa Pacific in double overtime. Blackwell, the Daktronics West Region Player of the Year, comes into Wednesday averaging 30.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Three others Broncos players are averaging double figures in points led by Ariel Marsh (12.5 ppg) and Tyler Woods (11.0 ppg) who have been on the floor for more than 40 minutes apiece. This will be the first meeting of ART U and CPP to date, however, it will be the second time the Knights have competed inside Kellogg Gym after facing Montana State-Billings in the NCAA DII West Regional last season with Pomona the site host.

A WEEKEND AT THE WARRIORS
Still scheduled to complete their second of two exhibitions against NCAA Division I opponents (Pacific, Fresno State) this week, Cal State Stanislaus looks at a season opener at Fresno Pacific on Nov. 20 before hosting the Knights for their home debut on Nov. 22. Stanislaus went 13-13 last season, but ended with four consecutive losses and finds themselves picked to finish ninth in the standings by the CCAA coaches. The Warriors only lose one of their top five scorers from last season as Briana Cotton (11.9 ppg), Jasmine Washington (10.9 ppg), Ana Burch (9.3 ppg), and Riley Holladay (8.0 ppg) all return for second-year head coach Wayman Strickland. In one historical meeting, an overtime battle in 2008, Stanislaus is 1-0 against the Knights.

TOROS RUN AMOK ON PLNU, START YEAR 1-1
Playing in the same PacWest/CCAA Challenge as Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Dominguez Hills split in its matchups with Azusa Pacific and Point Loma to start the year. The Toros, picked to finish second in the CCAA by its coaches, dropped a 72-65 result to Azusa Pacific then dominated PLNU to the tune of a 71-42 route. Breanna Garcia played a major part in CSUDH's 37-14 halftime advantage and finished the game with 26 points in 27 minutes. She currently leads the team at 15.0 ppg while Tayler Champion, who burned the Knights for 22 points and 16 rebounds in a 69-53 win last season, adds 12.5 ppg this season. The Toros are defending CCAA Tournament Champions (prior to a first round exit courtesy of Chico State) and carry 1-0 against ART U. CSUDH has its home opener coming up this week against Saint Martin's on Nov. 21 before traveling to San Francisco.

KNIGHTS START YEAR 1-1 IN BELMONT
Academy of Art began its 2013-14 season participating in Notre Dame de Namur's tournament this past Friday and Saturday, defeating Cal State Monterey Bay 73-56 and falling to Simon Fraser 78-61. ART U shot over 45 percent from the field in the second period against the Otters and used a significant rebound margin to deal CSUMB its first opening day loss since the 2007-08 season. Day two was not so kind to the Knights who, despite an evenly played second half, dropped behind on a 24-8 Simon Fraser run to end the first period that eventually gave The Clan its winning margin. Foul trouble limited the ART U bigs early on, leading to a significant SFU advantage in second chance points.

LOOKING AHEAD
After the first home game of the year at the start of next week, Academy of Art heads south to San Diego to partake in UCSD's Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 28-29. Day one has ART U matched up with the host Tritons at 5:00 PM and Saturday features a neutral site contest between the Knights and Cal State San Bernardino.