ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland women's basketball team opens a four-game road swing with a pair of Horizon League games at Youngstown State on Friday, Jan. 8 at 5 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live from the Beeghly Center on ESPN+ with Drae Smith on the call.
Notes:
LAST TIME OUT: Alona Blackwell poured in a team-high 19 points going 4-of-11 from 3-point range and 5-for-6 from the free throw line while
Kayla Luchenbach reached double-figures for the second straight game with 12 points and five rebounds as Oakland dropped the series finale to Green Bay, 92-61, on Saturday afternoon.
Jalisha Terry also added 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field.
A LOOK AT YSU: Youngstown State leads to overall series 14-10 after both teams split the series last season. The Penguins are 0-2 in conference play having only played two games this season vs Wright State due to their games against Northern Kentucky and Green Bay being canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Senior Mary Dunn leads YSU in points (11.0) and rebounds (6.0). Redshirt senior guard and Pre-season All-Horizon League First Team selection Chelsea Olson leads the team in assists (1.5) along with three other players in Mady Aulbach, McKenah Peters and Lexi Wagner.
2019-20 SEASON REWIND VS THE PENGUINS:
Game 1 (1/16/20): Jalisha Terry scored a team-high 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 6-for-6 from the free throw line followed by 15 points from
Kahlaijah Dean as Oakland's fourth quarter rally fell short as the Golden Grizzlies dropped a 79-74 decision to Youngstown State.
Brianna Breedy and
Autumn Kissman each added 10 points to round out the four players in double figures while
Breanne Beatty grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Game 2 (2/23/20): Chloe Guingrich posted her third double-double of the season scoring a career-high 23 points off the bench on 10-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds as Oakland shot a season-high 55.2 percent from the field with five players in double figures en route to a 86-73 road win at Youngstown State snapping a four-game skid.
Alona Blackwell and
Kahlaijah Dean each had 13 points while
Breanne Beatty and
Brianna Breedy added 11 and 10 points respectively.
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).
FIVE-TOOL THREAT: Kahlaijah Dean leads the team in scoring (16.4 ppg – 4th HL), rebounds (5.0 – 18th HL), assists (3.3 – T-4th HL) and steals (2.1 – 5th HL). She also ranks sixth in the league in field goal percentage (38.3%).
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.
DYNAMIC DUO: Dean and Blackwell are the only two players averaging in double figures at 16.4 ppg and 11.6 ppg respectively. Dean is shooting 38.3% (6th-HL) from the field while Blackwell is shooting at a 34.0% clip. Dean has reached double figures seven times followed by Blackwell at five.
DROPPIN' DIMES: Oakland ranks second in assists per game (14.22) and 57th nationally while Dean (3.3) and
Brianna Breedy (2.8) are first and second on team and rank fourth and 11th in the league respectively.
GETTIN' BUCKETS: Oakland ranks fourth in the Horizon League in scoring (66.1 ppg) and eighth in field goal percentage (38.3).
FROM LONG RANGE: Blackwell leads the team and ranks fifth in the league in 3-point field goals per game (2.3). As a team, Oakland leads the league and ranks 34th nationally in 3-pointers attempted (206) and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (28.2%). Dean is second in the league in 3-point attempts (68) and 14th nationally.
PASS/PROTECT THE ROCK: Oakland ranks third in assist/turnover ratio (0.88) and fifth in turnover margin (1.44).
CHARITY STRIPE PRODUCTION: Dean ranks 12th in free throw percentage (71.4) and 41st in the country in free throw attempts (49) and 52nd in free throws made (35).
I'LL TAKE THAT: Oakland ranks ninth in steals per game (7.78) and seventh in turnovers forced (17.67).
CRASH THE BOARDS: The Golden Grizzlies rank fifth in offensive rebounds (11.8) and are eighth in defensive rebounds (21.8) and seventh in total rebounds per game (33.6).
GUARD THE ARC: The Golden Grizzlies also rank eighth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (30.6).
GET THAT OUTTA HERE: Individually, Luchenbach leads the team in blocks (3) followed by
Autumn Kissman (2).
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).
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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