ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland women's basketball team returns from a six-day break to compete in the first Horizon League showdown of their season. Oakland faces the Youngstown State Penguins, Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. with Jake Riepma and Rex Walters on the
ESPN+ broadcast.
The Penguins are 2-0, one of three undefeated teams remaining in the Horizon League. Their two wins came against Eastern Michigan and Akron, both ending with a one-possession final score. In their season opener, the Penguins won by three after a last-second three from Eastern fell short. In their second game of the season, the Penguins held off Akron's late comeback attempt with four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, winning 57-55.
Oakland is 1-1, coming off a 77-64 win over Niagara. After averaging 74.5 points per game through their first two games, Oakland ranks 3rd in the Horizon in points per game.
The third game of their four-game home stand comes against a top defensive team. The Penguins have allowed just 61 points per game, fourth best in the Horizon. After allowing 84 points to Toledo in the season opener, the Golden Grizzlies' defense stepped up in game two, limiting Niagara to just 64 points on 38.5% shooting overall. Oakland also limited the Niagara offense to just 4-20 threes, 20%.
Lamariyee Williams had a career game against the Niagara Purple Eagles, setting or tying career highs in minutes, threes made, steals and assists in her second career start.
Olivia Sims also set career highs in her second game in black and gold, scoring 12 points with two threes and three assists. The bench stepped up against Niagara, scoring 39% of the team's points, a stark contrast from 29% in the season opener.
Last season, Oakland was 12-8 in conference play, their best mark in four years.The two teams split a weekend series in Youngstown in the 2020-21 season. The first game went to Oakland, 71-61, while the second was a 72-57 win for the Penguins. Youngstown State has won six of the last 10 games against Oakland, and owns a 15-11 all-time series advantage. Oakland is 5-7 at home all-time versus the Penguins.
Shortly after hosting the Penguins, Oakland will face another Horizon opponent in Robert Morris, which visits the O'Rena on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.
NOTES
SEASON REWIND
Nov. 13: Oakland 77 // Niagara 64
Midway through the second quarter, the Golden Grizzlies lead shrunk from 14 to nine, in danger of letting their opponent back in the game. A 10-0 run over five minutes gave Oakland the momentum they needed to hold on for their first win of the season, 77-64. Oakland finished with 20 team assists and had four players in double figures to defeat Niagara. Freshman Olivia Sims and Breanne Beatty led the team with 12 points each. Kahlaijah Dean led the team with five steals, LaMariyee Williams led the team with four assists and Breanna Perry led the way defensively with two blocks.
Nov. 9: Toledo 84 // Oakland 72
The visiting Toledo Rockets rode a big third quarter to a victory, spoiling Oakland's home opener with a 84-72 final score. Kahlaijah Dean recorded 27 points, six assists and four rebounds, leading Oakland in points and assists. The first-team All-Horizon league athlete lived behind the arc, hitting 5-14 3-pointers. The only other Golden Grizzly to score in double figures was Kayla Luchenbach, who scored 13 on 50% shooting. Luchenbach grabbed five rebounds as well, fourth on the team. Breanna Perry led Oakland in steals, taking the ball away twice. Breanne Beatty led the team in rebounds, pulling down seven boards.
CAREER HIGHS VS. NIAGARA
Multiple Golden Grizzlies set career highs against the Niagara Purple Eagles on Saturday, Nov. 13. Lamariyee Williams set career highs in minutes, threes made, steals and assists in her second career start. Olivia Sims also set career highs in her second game in black and gold, scoring 12 points with two threes and three assists. Helen Staley recorded her first points at Oakland on a second-chance layup, and Aaliyah McQueen scored four points in the 2nd quarter for her first buckets as a Golden Grizzly.
MEAN, LEAN, FIGHTING K. DEAN
Kahlaijah Dean was tied for first in the Horizon League in scoring after her 27-point outburst in the season opener against Toledo. Last season, Dean was fifth in the conference with 17.2 points per game. Her six dimes also put her tied for first in the Horizon in assists after the first game.
SIMS SPLASH
With a late three coming off a sidestep move, freshman Olivia Sims recorded her first career points, 3-pointer and field goal of her Oakland career.
DEAN EARNS PRESEASON HORIZON LEAGUE FIRST TEAM HONORS
After earning Horizon League First Team honors for the 2020-21 season, Kahlaijah Dean was voted a preseason All-Horizon first team athlete in October. Last season marked the third consecutive year Dean has garnered All-League honors after being named Sixth Player of the Year and All-League Third Team last season and named to the All-Freshman Team during the 2018-19 season. Dean is the first student-athlete to earn first team honors since Hannah Little in 2017.
OAKLAND RUNS ON DEAN
Kahlaijah Dean led the Golden Grizzlies in points, assists, rebounds and steals. She scored in double figures in 21 of 24 games, including eight 20-point performances. Her highest scoring performance came against Milwaukee on Feb. 13, where she dropped a career-high 34 points.
FANTASTIC FOUR SEED
The Golden Grizzlies finished as the no. 4 seed in the Horizon League last season, their best conference finish since 2017 (T-3). Their 12-8 record marked the best Horizon League record since 2017 as well. The 12 wins tied Jeff Tungate's career-best as head coach.
RUNNING AND GUNNING
Oakland scored 69.5 points per game in 2020-21, second best in the Horizon League. Led by Kahlaijah Dean's 17.2 points per game, the Golden Grizzlies scored as a team. In 2020-21, six Golden Grizzlies scored five or more points per game.
BOMBS BY BLACKWELL
In her second season, Alona Blackwell finished sixth in the league in 3-pointers made per game. Her 1.8 threes per game led the team and led to big scoring outbursts. Her five 3-pointers against Wright State on Dec. 19, 2020 was a career-high, and helped the Golden Grizzlies defeat the Raiders on the road, 75-69.
DIME TIME
Oakland ranked second in the Horizon in total assists (360), assists per game (15) and assist to turnover ratio (1.01). The ball movement was spearheaded by Kahlaijah Dean (106 total assists), Brianna Breedy (61) and Breanne Beatty (56). All three return this season.
PRESEASON PREDICTION
Oakland was picked fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll, after finishing as the No. 4 overall seed last season. Kahlaijah Dean was the only Golden Grizzly to be named to a preseason team, making the first team.
PADAWANS AND JEDIS
Six freshmen are on the 2021-22 roster this season, the most Jeff Tungate has had on the roster since 2014-15. In addition to six freshmen, Oakland has four seniors and a graduate student on the roster, putting their roster at 11 seniors/freshmen.
FRESHMAN FOCUS
Oakland's six freshmen athletes each come from unique places. Below is a quick summary of each freshman:
- Kendall Folley: 5'7" guard from Lebanon, Ohio.
- Third all-time leading scorer in Lebanon High School history
- Miriam Ibezim: 6'2" forward from Rochester, NY.
- Averaged 19.8 points and 19.5 rebounds per game in her career
- Kennedie Montue: 5'11" guard from Pittsburgh, PA.
- 2020-21 Valley News Dispatch Girls Basketball Player of the Year
- Prunelle Mungo: 6'2" forward from Lebanon, Ohio
- Three-year letterwinner, lettered in volleyball as well
- Olivia Sims: 5'9" guard from Toledo, Ohio.
- First-Team All-District selection and Third-Team All-State selection as a junior
- Helen Staley: 6'0" forward from Rosemount, Minn.
- Rosemount all-time leading rebounder, scored more than 1000 pts
FROM THE ILLINI TO THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Aaliyah McQueen joins the Golden Grizzlies after playing at Illinois her freshman season. At Illinois, she played in all 19 games, averaging 9.6 minutes per game. Her career high came against Michigan State, when she scored eight points on a perfect 3-point shooting night, 2-2 from three.
The Flint, Mich. native was the No. 22 wing in the state coming out of high school, and was named Associated Press Division I Girls Basketball All-Michigan first team as a senior.
