FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Five Golden Grizzlies put up double-digit points, as the Oakland men's basketball team took down Purdue Fort Wayne, 81-66, on the road Friday night inside the Gates Sports Center. The victory snapped a three-game winning streak at home for the Mastodons (6-8, 5-8 HL).
The Golden Grizzlies (7-13, 7-6 HL) had five players score in double figures, led by Jalen Moore, who had 18 points and nine assists. Zion Young tacked on 15 points off the bench while Trey Townsend added 11 points and 12 rebounds for his second career double-double. Daniel Oladapo and Micah Parrish rounded double-figure scorers with 11 points apiece.
Oakland utilized great ball movement in Friday's game, piling up 16 assists on 29 made field goals. Moore's nine assists led the distribution list for the Golden Grizzlies. Oladapo dished out a season-high four assists.
OU forced 14 PFW turnovers while committing just eight themselves in the victory. The Golden Grizzlies turned those takeaways into 15 points on the offensive end of the floor. The frontcourt trio of Parrish, Townsend, and Oladapo each recorded two-plus steals.
Both teams struggled early on, shooting a combined 1-for-13 from the floor to open the game. The Golden Grizzlies failed to convert a basket until the 15:30 mark of the first half, which came on a layup by Townsend.
Oakland managed to find a rhythm, jumping out to a 17-11 advantage at the midway point of the period. OU went on a 7-0 run with 9:33 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Young, to increase its lead to 24-11. The 'Dons inched back with a 10-2 run to close the half, but Oakland still entered the break with a 31-27 advantage.
Oakland relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots, three by Young, to account for 15 of its 31 points. The Golden Grizzly defense held PFW to 31-percent shooting (8-for-26) in the half, forcing 10 turnovers in the process.
Following intermission, Oakland kept widening its advantage, expanding it to 70-60 before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Rashad Williams' three, to grow the lead to 78-60 with 1:49 to go in the contest. The Mastodons narrowed the margin to nine points before the game was over, but the Golden Grizzlies still cruised the rest of the way for the 81-66 win.
OU found a groove offensively in the second period, shooting 53% (16-for-30) from the floor and 54% (6-for-11) from downtown. The Golden Grizzlies forced their way to the free throw line 17 times in the second half, compared to a mere two times in the first. The Golden Grizzlies return for the series closer against the 'Dons tomorrow night at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.
Other Notes
Oakland recorded 10-plus steals for the seventh time this season... OU never trailed in the second half... Young converted on his first four shot attempts... Williams made a 3-pointer for the eighth-straight game... Townsend recorded his second career double-double... Townsend grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds... Parrish tallied two-plus steals for the 10th time this season... Parrish scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season... Oladapo shot 50% or better for the fourth-straight game... Oladapo totaled five-plus rebounds for the 13th-straight game... Moore made a 3-pointer for the eighth-straight game... Moore broke a five game double-double streak with 18 points and nine assists... Kevin Kangu finished with eight points, his most since Dec. 13 at Michigan State (nine points)
