ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland women's basketball team concludes a four-game road swing with a pair of Horizon League and Metro Series games at arch-rival Detroit Mercy on Friday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live from the Calihan Hall on ESPN3 with Denny Kapp on the call.


 
Notes:
LAST TIME OUT - BEATTY HEATS UP: Breanne Beatty posted a career-high 15 points going 5-for-8 from the field hitting a career-best three 3-pointers in the first half while Alona Blackwell added 12 points as Oakland fell 72-57 at Youngstown State on Saturday night to split the weekend series.
 
OVERALL AND METRO SERIES HISTORY: Oakland leads the overall series 16-15 including winning the last six consecutive meetings with a 10-4 mark in Metro Series match ups.
 
METRO SERIES DOMINANCE: Oakland has won the overall Metro Series each of the past six seasons since its inception in 2014-15. The Golden Grizzlies currently lead this year's standings 4-0 after the men's basketball team swept Detroit Mercy earlier this season. Last season, the Golden Grizzlies won by a 15-1 margin due to a COVID-19 shortened season. In the event of a tie this year, Oakland will retain the cup.
 
A LOOK DETROIT MERCY: Detroit Mercy is 1-7 in conference play and 1-11 overall. Junior guard Kaela Webb leads the Titans in points (17.7) followed by freshman forward Brigid Fox who leads the team in rebounds (5.4). Junior guard Alicia Norman also leads the squad in assists (2.9).
 
2019-20 SEASON REWIND VS THE TITANS
Game 1 (12/28/19): Chloe Guingrich just missed a double-double scoring a season-high 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting with nine rebounds and two assists while Jalisha Terry reached double figures for the seventh time this season with 15 points and team-high three steals as Oakland upended Detroit Mercy, 71-57, for its fifth consecutive Metro Series win to open league play at Calihan Hall.
 
Game 2 (2/1/20): Kahlaijah Dean scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the second half as Oakland used a 14-4 fourth quarter run to rally with a 65-60 come from behind Metro Series win over arch-rival Detroit Mercy which marked the sixth consecutive victory over the Titans.
 
FIVE-TOOL THREAT: Kahlaijah Dean leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg – 5th HL), rebounds (4.8 – 21st HL), assists (3.5 – 4th HL) and steals (2.1 – 5th HL). She also ranks seventh in the league in field goal percentage (38.2%).
 
DO IT ALL DEAN: Dean averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists against No. 25 MSU and Green Bay. She had 15 points at MSU and matched a season-high with 28 points connecting on 5-of-12 from 3-point range in Oakland's overtime setback to Green Bay.
She averaged 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds to lead Oakland to a split at Wight State. She scored 19 of her 20 points in the second half with six rebounds and two assists to lead the Golden Grizzlies to the historic 75-69 win. Against UIC, she averaged 18.0 points, with 16 rebounds (8.0), 10 assists (5.0) to lead Oakland to a weekend sweep to open Horizon League play. She poured in a game-high 28 points, just missing her career-high of 30.
 
BP MAKES SEASON DEBUT: Coming off an injury, Temple transfer Breanna Perry made her season debut at YSU on limited minutes at the end of each quarter. She scored five points in both games hitting a 3-pointer each time with two free throws and three blocks in game two defensively.


 
DYNAMIC DUO: Dean and Blackwell are the only two players averaging in double figures at 15.3 ppg and 11.7 ppg respectively. Dean is shooting 38.2% (7th-HL) from the field while Blackwell is shooting at a 34.9% clip. Dean has reached double figures eight times followed by Blackwell at seven.
 
DROPPIN' DIMES: Oakland ranks second in the Horizon League in assists per game (13.91) and 55th nationally in total assists (153) while Dean (3.5) and Brianna Breedy (2.7) are first and second on team and rank fourth and 12th in the league respectively.
 
GETTIN' BUCKETS: Oakland ranks fourth in the league in scoring (65.7 ppg) and ninth in field goal percentage (37.5).
 
DIAL IT UP FROM LONG RANGE: Blackwell leads the team and ranks fifth in the league in 3-point field goals per game (2.3) and second in the league and 13th nationally in 3-pointers attempted (80). As a team, Oakland leads the league and ranks 31st nationally in 3-pointers attempted (248) and is sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (29.4%). Dean is second in the league in 3-point attempts (59).
 
PASS/PROTECT THE ROCK: Oakland ranks third in the league in assist/turnover ratio (0.89) and second in turnover margin (2.00).
 
CHARITY STRIPE PRODUCTION: Dean ranks 10th in the league in free throw percentage (70.9) and 47th in the country in free throw attempts (55) and 59th in free throws made (39).
 
I'LL TAKE THAT: Oakland ranks ninth in steals per game (7.82) and sixth in turnovers forced (17.64).
 
CRASH THE BOARDS: The Golden Grizzlies rank fifth in offensive rebounds (12.0) and are eighth in defensive rebounds (22.2) and seventh in total rebounds per game (34.2).
 
GUARD THE ARC: The Golden Grizzlies also rank eighth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (31.4).
 
GET THAT OUTTA HERE: Individually, Autumn Kissman leads the team in blocks (4) followed by Chloe Guingrich (3), Kayla Luchenbach (3) and Breanna Perry (3).
 
20-POINT CLUB: The Golden Grizzlies have had two players score over 20 points this season. Dean (3) posted 28 points vs UIC (12/12) and Green Bay (1/1) and 20 at Wright State (12/19). Blackwell (1) posted 22 at Toledo (11/29).
 
4-POINT PLAY: For the second consecutive season, Dean has excited the elusive 4-point play. With 57 seconds left against Green Bay (1/1), she hit a 3-pointer, was fouled and completed the rare 4-point play to pull the Golden Grizzlies within two points, 65-63. Last season, she converted one against Detroit Mercy in the third quarter (2/1/20).
 
LUCHENBACH LIGHTS IT UP: Kayla Luchenbach posted her second career double-double with 15 points and career-high 14 rebounds in Oakland's overtime setback against Green Bay on New Year's Day (1/1).
 
PARTY LIKE ITS 1989: Oakland's 75-69 win at Wright State (12/19) snapped a 16-game skid vs WSU and was the first win over the Raiders since Feb. 11, 1989. The win also moved the Golden Grizzlies to 3-0 in Horizon League play for the first time in program history and marked the first time since the 2009-10 season the team opened league play with three consecutive wins. Kahlaijah Dean scored 19 of her 20 points in the second half while Alona Blackwell poured in 19 first-half points along with 12 points and eight rebounds from Chloe Guingrich as the trio combined for 51 points.
 
BREEDY POSTS CAREER HIGH IN UIC SWEEP: Brianna Breedy posted a career-high 16 points hitting a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc while going 5-for-6 from the free-throw line to lead Oakland to a series sweep over UIC in Horizon League play (12/13).
 
"C" IS FOR CLUTCH: Jalisha Terry added all of her 13 points in the fourth quarter capped off with a clutch 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining to move Oakland ahead for good in the 76-70 Horizon League opening win over UIC (12/12.)
 
SUG IN THE BOOKS: Freshman Lamariyee "Sug" Williams recorded her first collegiate points scoring six while adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal against UIC (12/13).
 
BLACKWELL BLASTS OFF VS ROCKETS: Alona Blackwell poured in a career-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting as the Golden Grizzlies fell, 71-59, at Toledo (11/29). She also matched a career-best with four rebounds.
 
RANKED OPPONENTS: Oakland has played two nationally ranked opponents on the 2020-21 schedule hosting No. 25 Michigan (11/27) and at No. 25 Michigan State (12/22).

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