ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland women's basketball team continues its seven-game road swing at No. 15 Michigan State on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 pm.  The game will be broadcast live from the Breslin Center on BTN+ for paid subscribers only and can also be heard on the Spartan Sports Network.
 
Notes:
Series History: MSU has won the last 11 consecutive meetings against Oakland and leads the overall series 15-4.
 
A look at the Spartans: Michigan State checks in at No. 15 in the latest Associated Press Top-25 poll and is led sophomore and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Nia Clouden (19.3 ppg) who scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Spartans over No. 16 Notre Dame. Senior Taryn McCutcheon (10.7 ppg) and freshman Alyza Winston (10.3 ppg) round out the top three scorers on the team.
 
Gouard named Horizon League Nike® Freshman of the Week: Sydney Gouard, a Danville, Ill. native, averaged 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds while shooting a staggering 13-for-18 (72.2%) from the field, 3-for-5 from 3-point range (60%) and 6-for-6 (100%) from the free throw line helping Oakland go 2-0 for the week with wins over Concordia and Chicago State.
 
Against Concordia, Gouard recorded her first career double-double with a game and career-high 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting with a career-high 10 rebounds while adding three assists and two steals in the 76-42 win over the Cardinals. In Oakland's 98-70 win over Chicago State, she scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line with seven rebounds helping the Golden Grizzlies secure their second straight win.
 
Last Time Out: Oakland placed five players in double figures led by Jalisha Terry who poured in a game and career-high 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 from 3-point range followed by Gouard (15 pts), Autumn Kissman (14 pts), Brianna Breedy (career-high 13 pts) and Alona Blackwell (12 pts) as the Golden Grizzlies toppled Chicago State, 98-70, en route to their second straight win on Saturday.
 
Freshmen lead the way against Concordia: In addition to Gouard's 20 points, Blackwell added a career-high 15 points as the tandem combined for 35 of Oakland's 74 points in the win over Concordia.
 
Lights Out Luchenbach: Kayla Luchenbach reached double figures in two games this season. She scored a career-high 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field against Bradley and followed with 11 points helping Oakland to its first win of the season over Concordia. Luchenbach just missed a double-double grabbing a team and career-high 10 rebounds with eight points vs CSU. She also leads the
 
Magic number 800: Oakland currently sits at 797 overall program wins needing just three more to reach 800.
 
Block Party: Luchenbach posted a career-high in blocks (4) vs Concordia and ranks second in the league (1.7 bpg).
 
Gettin' Buckets: Oakland ranks third in the league in scoring (77.3 ppg) while Gouard (12.3 ppg) and Terry (12.0 ppg) rank 10th and 11th respectively individually.
 
Lockdown D: Defensively, the Golden Grizzlies rank second in the league allowing 62.0 ppg.
 
Droppin' Dimes: Terry ranks fifth in the league in assists per game (4.0).
 
Crash the Boards: Gouard ranks 10th in the league in blocks per game (6.3).
 
2019-20 Preseason Poll: Oakland was selected to finish eighth in the 2019-20 Horizon League Preseason Poll, announced by the league office (10/17) and voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.
 
Returning Firepower: The Golden Grizzlies return Horizon League All-Freshman Team selection Kahlaijah Dean who reached double figures 17 times last season. She also led the team in steals (1.7 - 4th HL), 3-point field goals made (60 - 2.1 - 2nd HL) and 3-point field goal percentage (35.7 - 7^th HL) while ranking second in scoring (11.7 ppg - T-9th HL).
 
Junior Chloe Guingrich also returns after making 23 starts last season and leading the team in rebounds (7.2). During her sophomore campaign Guingrich finished sixth in the league in offensive rebounds (2.4), seventh in rebounding (7.2), ninth in defensive rebounds (4.8) and field goal percentage (48.1) and tied for 13th in steals (1.2).
 
Fresh Faces: Oakland welcomes four transfers to the team in juniors Jalisha Terry (St. Bonaventure), C'Erra Maholmes (Schoolcraft), Rickeisha Sheard (Moberly Area CC) and Breanna Perry (Temple). Perry will sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Golden Grizzlies also have three new freshmen in Sydney Gouard, Breanne Beatty and Alona Blackwell who will look to make and immediate impact.

Big Shoes to Fill: Oakland will look to replace departed senior Taylor Jones who finished her ranking eighth on the program's all-time scoring list with 1615 points. Last season, Jones led the team in scoring (15.0 – 3rd HL), assists (4.2 – 2nd HL), free throw percentage (71.7 – T-8th HL), ranked second in rebounds (6.8 – T-10th HL), steals (1.5 – 8th HL) and ranked 48th nationally in field goal attempts (464 total - 16.0 per/game). Jones also was ranked ninth overall (6.9) and fifth (5.6) in defensive rebounds.
 
New Look Staff: The Golden Grizzlies added four new members the coaching and operations staff. Ke'Sha Blanton was named Associate Head Coach after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio). While at Miami (Ohio), Blanton helped guide the RedHawks to a 44-20 overall record and pair of Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearances. The team finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 23-9 overall record and 13-5 Mid-American Conference (MAC) mark securing the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons since the 1980's.
 
Ariel Braker joined the staff and an Assistant Coach after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Lehigh. Last season, she helped guide the team to a 21-10 record and 12-6 Patriot League mark after going 15-15 overall (9-9 PL) the previous season.
 
After spending the past two seasons as the Director of Basketball Operations, Crystal Davis was promoted to Assistant Coach. Prior to Oakland, Davis was an assistant women's basketball coach at Olivet College for two years. During the 2015-16 season, she helped guide the team to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament semifinals for the fourth consecutive season and 13-13 overall mark.
 
Callie Phillips was named Director of Basketball Operations after spending two seasons as the graduate assistant and director of operations for the women's basketball team at Wheeling Jesuit University.
 
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