Box Score HONOLULU, HI (January 4, 2014) - The Hawai`i Pacific Women's Basketball Team (7-3, 3-1) dropped its first conference game against Academy of Art (8-5, 5-0) 75-72. The game was a rematch of last season's Pacific West Conference Tournament Championship game.

HPU came out of the gate fast, going up 5-0 on a Skye Savini three-pointer and a Morganne Comstock jumper. The Urban Knights answered with a 15-0 run and held a 15-5 lead with 14:30 to play. The Urban Knights stretched their lead out to 15, but Comstock continued to battle inside, hitting back-to-back jumpers and cut the deficit to 10 with nine minutes to play in the opening half.

Playing with three fouls, Savini further cut into the deficit with a three-pointer while Ieva Nagy got in on the action hitting a layup to make the score 32-26 with 5:15 to play in the half. Both sides exchanged buckets in the closing minutes as the Urban Knights took a 39-31 lead to the break.

The Sea Warriors picked things up in the second half getting three-pointers from Savini and Nagy. The latter three-pointer cut the ART U lead to 45-41. Back-to-back layups by Comstock tied the score at 49 with 13:52 left in the game.

Art U stretched its lead back to 10, but a three-pointer from Nagy with three minutes to play cut the Urban Knights lead to 68-64. After a missed Art U free throw, Laken McClelland drilled a pair from the charity stripe to cut the lead down to two, 74-72 with 31 seconds to play.

HPU had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds after the Urban Knights only hit one of two free throws with 15 seconds to play.

HPU struggled from the floor shooting 36% (23-64) but was an efficient 81% from the line hitting 18 of its 21 free throws. The Urban Knights also shot 36% (25-70) from the floor including 17.6% (3-17) from beyond the line.

The Sea Warriors registered 20 assists on the night, but were undone by a season-high 29 turnovers.

Five Sea Warriors scored in double-digits led by Nagy who scored 17, Comstock registered yet another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Savini (13), McClelland (13) and Solomon (10) rounded out the Sea Warriors scoring in double-figures.

HPU returns to action on Monday when its faces Dixie State at the Neal Blaisdell Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.