ROCHESTER, Mich. – The women's basketball team's big opening fourth quarter run nearly tied the game after trailing by 18 at one point. However, a late push from the top-ranked Wolverines gave Michigan the 69-58 win over the Golden Grizzlies. 

Kahlaijah Dean led Oakland with 15 points, hitting 5-6 free throws. She added four rebounds, tied for the team-high with Sydney Gouard. Brianna Breedy added 11 points as well, hitting 5-9 shots including one 3-pointer, putting up another efficient stat line. 

The deciding factor in the 11-point win was rebounding. Oakland was out-rebounded by 19, 43-24, and allowed Michigan to grab 17 offensive rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies were active defensively as they have been all year, forcing 21 turnovers and grabbing seven steals. 

The undefeated Wolverines hosted Oakland, the Golden Grizzlies' first road game of the 2021-22 season. The game got off to a rough start for Oakland, after the first quarter Michigan led 19-6. Oakland as a team turned the ball over 10 times and shot 1-9.

The Wolverines continued pushing the pace and got out to a game-high 18 point lead. A late run from Oakland cut the lead down to 12 at halftime. 

The third quarter was much better for the Oakland offense, they shot 7-12 after shooting under 30% in the first half. Michigan continued to hit their shots consistently also, and they brought a 50-37 lead into the final quarter. 

Oakland, as they did in both Horizon League games, went on a big run in the fourth quarter. The Golden Grizzlies opened up on an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to one point with five minutes remaining. 

During the run, which stretched to 18-6 with 5:19 remaining, Kahlaijah Dean and Lamariyee Williams both had five points, including two big 3-pointers. Olivia Sims had a three as well during the run. She finished with 10 points, three rebounds and hit 2-4 threes. Oakland shot 7-10 from the floor during the big run. The Wolverines were up just 56-55 before taking a timeout.

Michigan answered with a run of their own, closing out the game defensively with a 13-3 run to secure their fifth victory of the season. They were led by Naz Hillmon, who hit 11-13 shots for a game-high 25 points. Hillmon also had 11 rebounds for a double-double. 

Oakland faces another Big 10 opponent when they host the Michigan State Spartans on Friday, Nov. 26 at 3 p.m.