ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland women's basketball team kicks off the 2019-20 campaign against Bradley for the home opener on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 pm. The game will be broadcast live from the Blacktop at the O'rena on ESPN3 with Jason Ross Jr. on the call.
Notes:
Season Outlook: Oakland looks to rebound after finishing the 2018-19 season with a 6-24 overall record and 3-15 conference mark. The Golden Grizzlies entered the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 8 seed and fell to No. 1 seed and eventual tournament champion Wright State (83-60).
Series History: This is only the second meeting between Oakland and Bradley as the Braves won the inaugural meeting, 73-64, last season. Bradley is led by 2018-19 MVC Freshman, Sixth Player of the Year and Michigan native Lasha Petree (13.2 ppg) and sophomore junior Gabi Haack (14.9 ppg.) Petree's younger sister Mahr is also a freshman on the team.
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.
Statistically Speaking: Last season, The Golden Grizzlies Oakland ranked fifth in rebounds per game (38.7), third in offensive rebounds game (12.7) and tied for fifth in defensive rebounds (26.1).
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.
Magic number 800: Oakland currently sits at 795 overall program wins needing just five more to reach 800.
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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