ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Oakland men's basketball team defeated the Youngstown State Penguins 87-83 in overtime at home to advance to the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship semifinals in Indianapolis.
Jalen Moore and Daniel Oladapo each recorded double-doubles to lead OU in the tournament victory. Moore had 20 points and 11 assists, while Oladapo notched 17 points and 10 rebounds. Rashad Williams was dominant in the second half, as he totaled 19 of his team-high 22 points in the period. Micah Parrish scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting to round out Oakland scorers in double figures. Trey Townsend contributed on defense with nine rebounds and three steals. To add, the freshman drew six charges.
The OU defense caused its share of mistakes in Tuesday's game, forcing YSU (15-12, 10-12 HL) to a season-high 20 turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 16 points on the offensive end of the floor. Parrish matched a career-high with four steals to lead the Golden Grizzlies in the category.
Oladapo pulled down six offensive rebounds to pace the Oakland offense, which grabbed 13 boards and turned them into 16 second-chance points.
After falling behind 8-7, Oakland went on a 6-0 run with 14:45 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Moore, to take a 13-8 lead. The Golden Grizzlies extended their advantage to eight points, 32-24, following a layup by Oladapo. The Penguins responded with a 9-2 run to even the score at 36-all with under a minute remaining in the period. OU collected a free throw right before halftime to enter the break with a 37-36 lead. Oakland outscored YSU 22-10 in the paint, while YSU hit seven 3-pointers to stay within distance.
Following intermission, Oakland widened its lead, expanding it to 62-51 with 9:35 to go in the contest. The Penguins fought back with an 11-0 run, resulting in a 62-62 score at the 5:36 mark in the half. YSU missed on a deep 3-point attempt in the final possession of the period with the score tied 73-73. The overtime marked the sixth of the season for the Golden Grizzlies.
In overtime, Youngstown State snagged a 78-76 advantage with 2:58 left in the first overtime before Oakland responded by going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Moore's layup, to seize an 84-78 lead with 50 seconds to go in the period. The Penguins narrowed the margin to three points, 86-83, with 13 seconds remaining, but the Golden Grizzlies held on for the 87-83 win.
The Golden Grizzlies (11-17, 11-10 HL) will face No. 4 seed Northern Kentucky in the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship semifinals on Monday, March 8 at 9:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN2.
Other Notes
Oakland improved to 2-4 in overtime games this season... OU shot 9-of-21 (42.9%) from outside the arc... The Golden Grizzlies forced 20 turnovers for the third time this season... OU collected 10 or more offensive rebounds for the 19th time this season... Moore and Oladapo recorded double-doubles in the same game for the fourth time this season... Moore tallied 10 or more assists for the 12th time this season... Oladapo garnered his third-straight double-double... Williams scored 20 or more points for the eighth time this season... Parrish scored in double figures for the ninth-straight game... Parrish recorded three or more steals for the sixth time in the last 10 games... Townsend matched a season-high in steals with three.
#GrizzVision with Greg Kampe
