GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Northern Kentucky (16-7, 8-3 HL) | Thursday, Feb. 6 - 7 PM | BB&T Arena | Highland Heights, KY
 
COVERAGE BROADCAST
ESPN3/+ and Fox Sports Ohio | TALENT: Brady Laber (PxP) and Brad Redford (Color) | RADIO: WDFN-AM (1130), iHeart Radio app | TALENT: Neal Ruhl (PxP)

ROCHESTER, Michigan - Oakland University men's basketball kicks off its weekend roadtrip with Northern Kentucky on Thursday, February 6, at BB&T Arena at 7 pm. 

Sophomore guard Rashad Williams has been making headlines since his transfer waiver was granted on January 16. Williams has knocked down multiple triples in every effort since being cleared to play  - highlighted by a career-high seven at Detroit last time out. The Detroit native went for a career-best 37 points on his way to Nike #HLMBB Player of the Week honors. 

Senior center Brad Brechting has turned up his play since the start of the conference slate. Brechting has recorded five-straight double-digit efforts - including back-to-back double-doubles. Last year, Brechting started a run of 12-straight games with 10+ points on January 24 - this season the run kicked off on January 16.

Xavier Hill-Mais is one of 10 Horizon League seniors named to the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship Midseason Watch List, announced on Tuesday, February 4. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native has scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games this season - highlighted by five double-doubles. Currently, Hill-Mais ranks inside the top eight in the league for points per game, 15.5, and rebounds, 7.7. He is knocking down over 51 percent of his field goal attempts - good for first in the Horizon.

Northern Kentucky enters the weekend second in the league standings. The Norse have been on the road for seven of their last nine contests. 

Last time out, four Norse scored in double digits, but defense, rebounding and free-throw shooting led Northern Kentucky to a 65-56 win at Milwaukee. NKU limited the Panthers to 36 percent (19-of-53) shooting and 30 percent (7-of-23) from 3-point range, while outrebounding the Panthers, 40-31.

Following Thursday's matchup with Northern Kentucky, the Golden Grizzlies travel to Wright State on Saturday, February 8. 

Inside the Series
Overall: NKU, 12-11
At Home: 4-7
At NKU: 7-3
At Neutral: 0-2
Current Streak: NKU, 3
Last Meeting: L, 75-64, Jan. 5, 2020 - O'Rena
Series: Last OAK win at NKU - Jan. 26, 2018, 83-70

Notes

• Rashad Williams was named the Nike #HLMBB Player of the week after dropping a career-high 37 points in the Golden Grizzlies' 77-64 victory over Detroit Mercy on Friday, January 31. Williams knocked down 7-of-16 from beyond the arc, matching his career high for three-point field goals in a game originally set on December 16, 2018, at Illinois State. Fourteen of Williams' 37 came from the foul line en route to becoming the first Golden Grizzly to score 30 or more points since senior center Brad Brechting put up 32 against Youngstown State in the O'rena on February 1, 2019.
• Xavier Hill-Mais is one of 10 Horizon League seniors named to the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship Midseason Watch List, announced on Tuesday, February 4. The 2020 event is scheduled for April 3-5 at Atlanta's Atlantic Station. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native has scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games this season - highlighted by five double-doubles. Currently, Hill-Mais ranks inside the top eight in the league for points per game, 15.5, and rebounds, 7.7. He is knocking down over 51 percent of his field goal attempts - good for first in the Horizon.
• Oakland has had at least three scorers in double figures in 11-straight outings. The Golden Grizzlies have had five double-digit scorers three times this year.The last time the Golden Grizzlies had just one double-digit scorer was against No. 16/15 Michigan State on Dec. 14.
• Brad Brechting's 11 points marked five-straight outings for the Cedar Springs native with double digits. Brechting tallied a season-high 26 points at Green Bay on Jan. 16. Brechting has put together consecutive double-digit efforts three times this season - this is the first stretch of five-straight games this year. He tallied 10 or more points in 12-straight games a season ago - a streak that started on Jan. 24, 2019, against IUPUI. Brechting is coming into the weekend with back-to-back double-doubles. 
• In each of the past five road games, the Golden Grizzlies have jumped out to a double digit lead in the first half: +15 at Detroit, +10 at Milwaukee, +15 at Green Bay, +12 at Cleveland State, +13 at Youngstown State. The Golden Grizzlies took a lead into half in four of the five outings: +9 at Detroit, +3 at Green Bay, +3 at Cleveland State, +4 at Youngstown State, -4 at Milwaukee. Oakland is 2-3 over the last five road games. 
• Rashad Williams - playing in just his fifth game as a Golden Grizzly - has knocked down multiple three-pointers in every outing - his season high is seven set on Jan. 31 at Detroit. The Detroit native ranks second all-time in Cleveland State single-season history with 91 three-pointers a year ago.
• Following last week's win, the Golden Grizzlies haven't trailed Detroit in 1 hour, 57 minutes and 40 seconds of game time.