ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland University's Men's Basketball team returns home for just the second time in the 2021-22 campaign on Thursday night as it hosts Horizon League action in Robert Morris University at the Athletics Center O'rena for a 7:00 p.m. ET tip. ESPN3/+ will televise the game while "Voice of the Golden Grizzlies" Neal Ruhl will have the call on The Bet 1270AM (WXYT-AM) and the Audacy App.

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INSIDE THE SERIES
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Overall: Oakland leads 4-1 
At Home: 1-0
On the Road: 3-1
Current Streak: Oakland, 1
Last Meeting: W, 86-81 (2/13/21)
Series Note: Second year as Horizon League opponents

The Colonials are battling through a 2-9 season that has seen losses to the likes of No. 10 University of Kentucky, University of Central Florida along with Horizon League mates Green Bay University and Milwaukee University. 

WIth a 4-1 lead in the series, Oakland looks to rebound off of its 12-point defeat to Michigan State University at Little Caesars Arena on December 21 in this young series. Last season's two day double-header was the first meeting since 2016 in Moon Township where the Golden Grizzlies came away 74-53 victors at the Charles L. Sewall Center. 

Pat Gallagher Head Coach, Andrew Toole, is in his 12th season at the helm at RMU as the team finished its non-conference slate on the road against Saint Francis University in a 75-67 win back on December 22. The Colonials only other win came at home against Lancaster Bible College, a NCAA Division III opponent.

Four teams are tied atop the Horizon League standings at 2-0 next to Oakland in Youngstown State University, Cleveland State University, and University of Detroit Mercy as conference play resumes. Youngstown State will first play the Titans at across town UD Mercy on Thursday before traveling to Rochester in a battle of the league's top teams on Saturday. 

Oakland was slated 16th in the December 27th edition of Mid-Major Top 25 Poll as voted on by mid-major tier coaches. The Golden Grizzlies slipped to 16th from 14th in last week's edition.

According to kenpom.com, the Golden Grizzlies have played the 26th toughest schedule in the country based on strength of schedule rating. 

The Golden Grizzlies will face a showdown with Youngstown State on Saturday, January 1 to finish this week's home stand at 3:00 p.m. 


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NOTES

NATIONAL TALENT
Once again, Jamal Cain sees himself in the mix of national attention with the grad student from Pontiac in more than one category. 

Category - Place (Total/Average)
Double Doubles - Tied-26th (11)
Defensive Rebounds Per Game - 22nd (6.91)
Rebounds Per Game - 15th (10.1)

MID-MAJOR SUCCESS
Oakland was slated 16th in the December 27th edition of Mid-Major Top 25 Poll as voted on by mid-major tier coaches. The Golden Grizzlies slipped to 16th from 14th in last week's edition.

BATTLE IN LITTLE CAESARS ARENA
Moore tallied a double-double in the team's 90-78 loss to Michigan State University with 25 points and 11 assists to his name as Cain notched his second straight contest with 20 or more points, his sixth overall of the season. The squad shot 43.9% (25-57) from the field as the team faces its first, albeit short, losing streak of the season at two games. 

AMONG THE GREATS
Jalen Moore sits fourth in the nation when it comes to helping out his teammates. The junior is fourth in the country through 11 games tallying 80 assists in total for an average of 7.3 per game. 

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS
As a team, OU shoots 26th in the country in free throws going 154-199 (77.63%) as the fourth Horizon League team in the poll behind Wright State University, Purdue Fort Wayne, and Detroit Mercy. 

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LAST FOUR

(vs) Michigan State, December 21, L 90-78
Moore notched a double double in the teams loss before the holiday break to Michigan State at Little Caesars Arena with 25 points and 11 assists. Cain continues to prove himself as one of the best in the country with 20 points and six rebounds to his credit, shooting 50% from the field in the process.

(at) Bowling Green, December 7, L 73-72
The Golden Grizzlies had their five game winning streak snapped by the Falcons as Cain once again tallied 21 points to lead the team in the loss as Moore was just behind with 19 and six steals. The dooming stat line for OU were the season-high 22 turnovers that led to 26 points for BGSU. 

(at) IUPUI, December 4, W 78-45
Oakland picked up its second Horizon League win as it forced a season-high 23 turnovers reinforced by a 28-32 record at the free throw line. Trey Townsend had a stellar performance of 14 points (6-9 shooting), seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals.

(at) Illinois-Chicago, December 2, W 81-77
A 81-77 conference opening win was in store for Oakland in its first game of December as five Golden Grizzlies found themselves in double digit scoring as Townsend secured 22 to lead the team. Cain finished with 19 and Moore with 14, respectively. 

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FUN IN THE SUN
Oakland secured the Gulf Coast Showcase title with wins over Vermont, Rice, and Delaware. All three of OU's victories were decided by eight points or less. The tournament took place at Hertz Arena in Estero, Fla. and featured eight mid-major teams. The winner of the MTE has advanced to postseason play in six of its eight years of existence.

UPSET IN STILLWATER
The Golden Grizzlies earned a 56-55 victory at Oklahoma State in their second game of the season. Moore scored the final seven points for OU in the win. The upset was Oakland's 12th career win over a Power 5 program.

GOOD TO BE HOME
Oakland rolled past Toledo, 80-59, in its home opener at the Athletics Center O'rena. OU outscored Toledo 49-27 in the second half, which snapped a four-game losing skid to the Rockets. Cain exploded for 29 points, 17 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, while sophomore guard Blake Lampman had a career night, scoring 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from outside the arc. Moore had a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists. 

GET YOUR TICKETS
Season tickets can be purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office by calling (248) 370-4000 or emailing outickets@oakland.edu. Single-game tickets and mini-plans are also available for the 2021-22 basketball season. Click here for more information.

NEW HOME FOR OAKLAND BASKETBALL
Oakland recently announced a partnership with Audacy that made 97.1 The Ticket HD3 and The Bet 1270AM (WXYT-AM) the official radio providers for the department. With this new partnership, 97.1 The Ticket HD3 and The Bet 1270AM (WXTY-AM) will provide coverage for all Oakland men's basketball games as well as the Greg Kampe Radio Show.

BACK FOR ANOTHER RUN
Kampe enters his 38th season at the helm of the Oakland men's basketball program. He is the third-longest tenured active coach in Division I, only behind Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, 45 seasons) and Mike Krzyzewski (Duke, 41 seasons). Kampe's 650 career wins rank 12th among active Division I coaches.

PUTTING OAKLAND ON THE MAP
Kampe joined Oakland in 1984 after six seasons as an assistant coach at Toledo (1978-1984). Formerly known as the Pioneers, OU had only six winning seasons in 16 years of competition before his arrival.