KNIGHT WATCH
ART U comes into the weekend ranked third in the PacWest Conference in both scoring (79.0 ppg) and rebounding (44.8 rpg). PacWest Co-Player of the Week Krystal Forthan is third in the conference offensively (18.6 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (10.2 rpg) after a week where she tied her career-high with 28 points against #2 Cal Poly Pomona. She added her third double-double of the year (ninth in the country) with 22 points and 17 rebounds against Cal State Stanislaus on Nov. 22. As always, the offense has come from several others with junior Regina Camera ranked 17th in the PacWest at 17.2 points per game, junior Sha'Nice Storey at 11.0 ppg after ranking third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.526), and junior Zoie Sheng (8.0 ppg) fourth in free throw percentage (.917). Camera recently moved up to third on the all-time scoring list with 741 points scored (now behind Lorraine Etchell's 837), Storey cracked triple digits in 3-pointers made (106), and Sheng is the second Knight now with 200+ career assists (212).

Junior Jasmin Guinn is the second-highest rebounding guard in the PacWest at 8.0 boards per game in addition to her 10.2 points per contest. Off the bench, junior Caron Brown has made an impact rebounding the basketball as well, pulling down 7.0 rpg.

UC SAN DIEGO (OT)RITONS
Overtime has been the name of the UCSD game thus far in 2014-15. In the Tip Off Classic hosted by Cal State San Bernardino, the Tritons needed extra time to defeat Mary 89-84 then fell by a close 71-66 score to Seattle Pacific before going into another OT period against Western Washington. WWU came out on top 80-77, making UC San Diego 1-2 despite narrow defeats. Miranda Seto has led the team in scoring in each of the three contests, averaging 19.7 points per game, while Farrah Shokoor is posting a double-double (10.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game) on a regular basis. This will be the first meeting of ART U and UCSD to date.

COYOTES OFF TO A HOWLING START
After being picked to finish third in the CCAA in the preseason, Cal State San Bernardino comes off a 9-16 campaign last year and has won its first two games of 2014-15. In their own Tip Off Classic, the Coyotes defeated University of Mary 72-58 then handled California Baptist 76-57 four days later on Nov. 18. Chelsea Barnes and Brianna Harden are CSUSB's scoring leaders both at 12.5 points per game, but the Coyotes have a similarly balanced attack as Academy of Art with four players averaging double figures offensively. Adriana Brodie leads the team in rebounding at 11.5 boards per game. Before facing ART U for the first time on Saturday, San Bernardino takes on Azusa Pacific Friday afternoon in San Diego.

ART U GRINDS OUT 81-76 WIN OVER CSUDH
In its 2014-15 home opener, Academy of Art University women's basketball used a balanced attack from both the starters and off the bench to defeat Cal State Dominguez Hills 81-76 on Monday night. ART U's 19 points off 18 Toros turnovers played a major part in the win as free throws plus a key steal by Forthan in the final 10 seconds fended off any chance of a comeback.

LOOKING AHEAD
PacWest play officially begins for Academy of Art with the start of December as the Urban Knights return to Belmont to face Notre Dame de Namur on Dec. 6 in a 1:00 PM tipoff.