ROCHESTER, Mich. – The No. 4 seed Oakland women's basketball earned a first-round bye in the 2021 Horizon League Championship and will host No. 5 seed and defending league champion IUPUI in quarterfinal action on Tuesday, March 2 at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live from the Blacktop at the O'rena on ESPN+ with Jason Ross Jr. on the call.


 
Notes:
DEAN EARNS HORIZON LEAGUE FIRST TEAM HONORS: Kahlaijah Dean earned Horizon League First Team honors as voted on the by league's 12 head coaches and announced by the league office on Tuesday. This marks 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 also the first student-athlete to earn first team honors since Hannah Little in 2017.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Oakland is 20-19 all-time in conference tournaments with a 2-3 mark as a No. 4 seed in the Division I era. The Golden Grizzlies are 1-7 in the Horizon League Tournament and captured Mid-Continent titles in 2002 and 2006 to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
 
OAKLAND VS IUPUI TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Oakland and IUPUI met during the 2018 Motor City Madness Horizon League Championships quarterfinals held at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. on March 3, 2018. Leah Somerfield scored a team-high 13 points with eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks while Sha'Keya Graves added 10 points and four assists as No. 7 seed Oakland played No. 2 seed IUPUI down to the wire but fell short, 56-49. Taylor Gleason added nine points with a game-high six assists while Nikita Telesford chipped in with seven points. Mercy Agwaniru also added two solid blocks.
 
A LOOK AT IUPUI: Oakland leads the overall series 24-19 but has dropped the last eight consecutive meetings. The Jags are led by senior and three-time Horizon League Player of the Year Macee Williams who leads the team in scoring (17.9 ppg – 2nd HL) and rebounds (9.3 rpg – 1st HL). Redshirt junior Rachel McLimore leads the team in assists (2.6 apg).
 
2019-20 SEASON REWIND VS THE JAGUARS:
Game 1 - 1/2/20: Chloe Guingrich reached double figures for the second consecutive game posting 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds as Oakland dropped its first conference game of the season with a 76-41 setback at IUPUI. Autumn Kissman added eight points while Kahlaijah Dean and Jalisha Terry each chipped in with four points.
 
Game 2 - 2/8/20: Alona Blackwell scored in double figures for the third consecutive game with a team-high 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field, 2-for-5 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the free throw line as Oakland saw its two-game win streak snapped with a 89-63 setback to Horizon League leader IUPUI on Saturday at the O'rena. Kahlaijah Dean scored in double figures for the 10th straight game with 10 points while dishing a career-high eight assists. Autumn Kissman also added 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting while connecting on her second 3-pointer of the season.
 
LAST TIME OUT - SENIORS SHINE IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE VS NKU: Seniors Chloe Guingrich scored a season and team-high 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line while Autumn Kissman scored 18 points for the second consecutive game with six rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe followed by Jalisha Terry chipping in five points with five assists as Oakland fell 88-75 to Northern Kentucky on Senior Day Saturday at the O' rena. Kahlaijah Dean just missed a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
 
DEAN POURS IN CAREER-HIGH 34 POINTS TO REACH 1000 CAREER POINTS: Kahlaijah Dean became the 29th player in program history to reach 1000 career points as she scored 20 points in the fourth quarter en route to pouring in a new career-high 34 points (over half of Oakland's 64 points) on 10-of-24 (41.7%) shooting from the field, 4-for-9 (44.4%) from 3-point range and 10-of-11 (90.9%) from the free throw line while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds with three assists as Oakland battled but came up short at Milwaukee, 69-66, (2/13). The last player to reach 1000 career points was Taylor Jones who scored 11 points to become the 28th player in program history to score 1000 career points vs NKU (1/6) during the 2017-18 season.

HORIZON LEAGUE MILESTONE: Oakland's 84-81 over NKU (2/19) the Golden Grizzlies matched a program-best 12 Horizon League wins set during the 2016-17 season.

DROPPIN' DIMES: Oakland ranks third in the Horizon League in assists per game (15.35) and 27th nationally in total assists (347) while Dean (4.5), Brianna Breedy (2.9) and Breanne Beatty (2.4) are first, second and third on team and third, ninth and 15th in the league respectively.
 
GETTIN' BUCKETS: Oakland also ranks second in the league in scoring (69.7 ppg) and sixth in field goal percentage (40.3). Oakland shot a season best 52.5% at Detroit Mercy (1/15), season second-best 51.9% in back-to-back games against Robert Morris. The Golden Grizzlies also hit 51.7% from the field against Purdue Fort Wayne without hitting a 3-pointer (0-for-4) (1/23).
 
DO IT ALL DEAN: leads the team in scoring (17.3 ppg – 4th HL), rebounds (5.7 – 11th HL), assists (4.5 – 3rd HL) and steals (1.9 – 4th HL). She also ranks second on the team in blocks (11) after posting a career-high three vs Purdue Fort Wayne (1/22) and eighth in the league in field goal percentage (39.6%). She is tied for the lead with most 20-point games (8) with a career-high and league second best 34 points at Milwaukee
 
Dean by the numbers:
• Total Points (399) - 1st HL, 23rd Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Points per game (17.3) - 4th Horizon League (1st Oakland)
• Total assists (103) - 1st HL, 17th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Assists per game (4.5) - 3rd HL (1st Oakland)
• Total free throws made (102) - 1st HL, 15th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Free throw % (76.1) - 6th HL (1st Oakland)
• Total free throw attempts (134) – 1st HL, 16th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Total Steals (44) – 1st HL, 48th Nationally
• Steals (1.9) - 4th HL (1st Oakland)
• Total field goals made (131) - 2nd HL, 51st Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Total field goal attempts (331) - 1st HL, 21st Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Field goal % (39.6) - 8th HL (1st Oakland)
• Rebounds (5.7) - 11th HL (1st Oakland)
• Total 3-PT field goals made (35) - 4th HL (2nd Oakland)
• 3-PT field goals per game (1.5) - 11th HL (2nd Oakland)
• Total 3-PT field goals attempts (122) - 2th HL (2nd Oakland)
• Blocks per game (0.5) - 17th HL (2nd Oakland)
• Assist/turnover ratio (1.3) - 5th HL (1st Oakland)
• Most 20-point games (8) - 2nd HL (1st Oakland)
• Scored in double figures 20 times
• Career-high and league second-best 34 points at Milwaukee (2/13)
• Career-high and league best 12 assists vs PFW (1/23)
• Career-high 12 rebounds vs PFW (1/22)
 
DIAL IT UP FROM LONG RANGE: Alona Blackwell leads the team and ranks fifth in the league in 3-point field goals per game (1.8) and leads the league and is 26th nationally in 3-pointers attempted (149). Dean is second in the league in 3-point attempts (122). As a team, Oakland is second in the league and ranks 59th nationally in 3-pointers attempted (473) and is sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (30.8%). Oakland shot a season-best 12-for-19 (63.2%) from three-point range against Robert Morris (2/5)
 
Blackwell by the numbers:
• Points per game (10.7) - 17th Horizon League (2nd Oakland)
• 3-PT field goals per game (1.8) - 6th HL (1st Oakland)
• Total 3-PT field goals made (42) - 1st HL, 100th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Total 3-PT field goal attempts (149) - 1st HL, 26th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• 3-PT field goal % (28.2) (1st Oakland)
• Steals (1.1) - (2nd Oakland)
• Minutes (31.0) - 12th HL (2nd Oakland)
• Scored in double figures 12 times
• 20-point games (2)
• Career-high 24 points at Cleveland State (1/29), career second-best 22 points at Toledo (11/29)
 
PASS/PROTECT THE ROCK: Oakland ranks second in the league in assist/turnover ratio (1.00) and third in turnover margin (2.48). Dean (1.2) ranks fifth in the league.
 
BP BLOCK PARTY: In just 14 games, Temple transfer Breanna Perry leads the team in blocks (18) having already recording three blocks in a game twice at YSU (1/9) and at Detroit Mercy (1/15) while adding a career-best four blocks at Cleveland State (1/30).
 
SHARING IS CARING: The Golden Grizzlies dished out a season-high 23 assists three times this season first on 32 made baskets in the game one win over the Titans (1/15), 23 assists on 30 made hoops against Purdue Fort Wayne (1/23) and 23 dimes on 28 made field goals against Robert Morris (2/5).
 
DYNAMIC DUO: Dean and Blackwell are the only two players averaging in double figures at 17.3 ppg and 10.7 ppg respectively.
 
CHARITY STRIPE PRODUCTION: Dean is second in the conference and is 21st in the country in free throw attempts (134) while ranking sixth in the league in free throw percentage (76.1).
 
20-POINT CLUB: The Golden Grizzlies have had two players score over 20 points this season. Dean (7) posted 34 points at Milwaukee (2/13), 28 points vs UIC (12/12) and Green Bay (1/1), 25 vs RMU (2/5), 21 vs RMU (2/6), 21 vs Purdue Fort Wayne (1/23) and 20 at Wright State (12/19). Blackwell (2) 24 at Cleveland State (1/29) and 22 at Toledo (11/29).
 
I'LL TAKE THAT: Oakland ranks fourth in turnovers forced (17.52) and sixth in steals per game (7.83).
 
CRASH THE BOARDS: The Golden Grizzlies rank second in offensive rebounds (12.2) and are eighth in defensive rebounds (23.0) and sixth in total rebounds per game (35.2).
 
GUARD THE ARC: The Golden Grizzlies also rank ninth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (33.0).
 
GET THAT OUTTA HERE: Individually, Perry leads the team in blocks (18) followed by Dean (11), Autumn Kissman (8), Chloe Guingrich (8), Alona Blackwell (6), and Kayla Luchenbach (3).