ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland women's basketball team will start their season with an inter conference battle against the Toledo Rockets, Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+  here, with Jake Riepma and Dan Waterstradt on the call. 

Oakland brings back nine players from the 2020-21 roster. They welcomed six freshmen to the team and one transfer in Aaliyah McQueen from Illinois. The six freshman are Kendall Folley, Miriam Ibezim, Kennedie Montue, Prunelle Mungo, Olivia Sims and Helen Staley. 

Kahlaijah Dean led the Golden Grizzlies in points, rebounds, assists and steals last season, and was named to the preseason All-League first team, as voted on by coaches and media members. She was also named to the All-Horizon League First Team after Oakland finished 12-8 in conference play last season. Dean became the 29th player in program history to record more than 1000 career points when she scored 34 against the Milwaukee Panthers on Feb. 13. 

The 12 conference wins for Oakland were the most since 2016-17. After finishing as the No. 4 seed, Oakland hosted their first quarterfinals game in program history. Their season came to an end against the IUPUI Jaguars, 86-64. 

Starters Breanne Beatty, Brianna Breedy and Alona Blackwell all return for Oakland alongside Dean. Blackwell was the only other player to average at least 10 points per game (10.5). Her 42 3-pointers led the roster.

Beatty, who started 23 games of 24 total, was one of three players (Dean and Blackwell) to start 23 or more games in 2020-21. Beatty was the most accurate shooter on the roster from deep, hitting 25/60 threes, good for 41.7%.  

Breedy started in all 21 games she played in and was one of the best playmakers on the roster. Her assist to turnover ratio (1.84) was best on the team and she was the steadiest hand at the free throw line, hitting 81% of her free throws. 

Toledo, which boasts a 4-1 record against the Golden Grizzlies all time, was the fourth best defensive team in the Mid-American Conference last season. Forward Quinesha Lockett was named second-team preseason All-MAC after averaging 19.6 points per game last season. Lockett also led the Rockets in steals per game (2.0) and was second in rebounds (5.3) and assists (2.8) per game in 2020-21. 

The Rockets were 12-12 last season, 8-12 in conference play. The No. 9 seed in the conference, they didn't compete in the conference tournament.

Last season, the Rockets hosted Oakland at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio. The Golden Grizzlies got off to an early lead, leading 35-30 at halftime, but a 18-6 third quarter in favor of Toledo was the difference. Toledo carried that momentum into the fourth, where they outscored Oakland 23-18, securing a 71-59 win. Alona Blackwell led Oakland with 22 points and four rebounds, hitting 3-7 threes. 
 

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NOTES

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.