Box Score OAKLAND, Calif. – Combining for 56 of the team's 71 points, the ART U Women's Basketball starters were the difference Saturday evening as the Urban Knights defeated Holy Names 71-59 inside Tobin Gymnasium. Junior guard
Zoie Sheng posted a team-high 18 points and junior guard
Jasmin Guinn became the program's career steals leader in a game that saw Academy of Art hold the lead for all 40 minutes.
"Proud of the way we battled today, again overcoming some adversity and having to fill in some more gaps," said head coach
LaNay Larson. "The starters set the tone to begin the game and the bench is more important than ever at this point. We were able to create offense from defense which is always one of our focus points."
The Urban Knights were on fire to start as Sheng scored the first three buckets then junior guard
Regina Camera and Guinn added layups. Guinn's easy two points came after she tied the program record with her 150th career steal. Minutes later redshirt junior guard
Vianai Austin knocked down a triple and ART U led 13-4.
A 6-2 response brought the Hawks to within five, but steady production by Academy of Art kept them ahead. After Austin converted two free throws, however, HNU used a 7-0 run to cut the margin to two points late in the half. With three minutes and 14 seconds left, Kristi Sakamoto's 3-pointer made it a one point game, but an 8-2 burst by the Knights started on junior guard
Sha'Nice Storey's jumper in the paint put ART U up 36-29 at the break.
It was Academy of Art's 9-0 run to start the second half that permanently shifted the momentum. The Knights opened with a Storey triple and continued to make free throws as they went ahead by double digits and never looked back. Holy Names briefly cut the lead to nine midway through, but Sheng found Camera for one of her three 3-pointers in the second half and ART U went on to lead by as many as 19 down the stretch.
With just under six minutes left, Guinn grabbed the steal that would put her #1 on the all-time list and shortly thereafter she added another. The Hawks hung tough late, but Academy of Art sealed the 71-59 victory with free throws late.
"I thought Zoie was really solid today, Reg hit some big shots, and we had great hustle plays from Jas and Molly," said Larson. "We're playing one game at a time so now we turn our focus to a FPU team that has beaten some of the better teams in the conference so we know we need to bring our best."
Holy Names falls to 2-20 overall and 1-13 in PacWest play after being led by Garysha Youngblood's 21 points. Sakamoto hit three 3-pointers off the bench for 11 points, but the Knights' 22 points off 22 Hawks turnovers made a big difference.
Academy of Art returns to Kezar Pavilion this Wednesday, Feb. 11 to host Fresno Pacific in a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.
