FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Looking to improve to 4-2 in conference, Oakland women's basketball faced their toughest challenge of the season against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons.
The Golden Grizzlies were down to just six players:
C'Erra Maholmes,
Alona Blackwell,
Kayla Luchenbach,
Breanne Beatty,
Kendall Folley and
Sydney Gouard.
Those six players came back from a 16-point deficit, coming back to win 63-60. Blackwell hit a game-winning corner three and a mid range shot to seal the game, she finished with a team-high 17 points.
Purdue Fort Wayne got off to an early lead, consistently burying their shots. The Mastodons shot 4-5 from deep in the first quarter, and 9-12 overall to take a 22-12 lead into the second quarter. Oakland went 2-7 from three in the first.
After one, Beatty led Oakland with three points and a steal. Maholmes, who had four steals a week ago against Milwaukee, had two in the first quarter. She finished with three, bringing her total to seven in the past two games.
Oakland drew within single digits again in the second quarter after Blackwell turned a steal into an assist to
Kendall Folley on the fast break, bringing Oakland within eight.
Purdue Fort Wayne answered with a 7-0 run to reclaim a commanding double digit lead with minutes remaining in the second quarter. Back-to-back threes from Blackwell and Maholmes kept the Golden Grizzlies within 10, closing the gap.
The Mastodons led by 12 at halftime, and got there on 75% shooting from the field and from three. Sylare Starks and Jazzlyn Linbo each had eight for Purdue Fort Wayne.
Oakland was led by a pair of seven point scorers, Folley and Blackwell. Maholmes and Blackwell each had two steals.
The third quarter opened up going back-and-forth. After seven minutes, neither team was able to gain a big edge, Oakland outscored Purdue Fort Wayne 10-9 in that span. Maholmes had another steal and coast-to-coast layup to keep things even.
After the media timeout, Oakland scored four unanswered to draw within seven, capped off by a coast-to-coast layup by Folley. As Beatty drained a quarter-ending midrange jumper, Oakland was down just five points going into the final period. Luchenbach led the Golden Grizzlies with 10 points.
Folley found Luchenbach for a layup to open the fourth and the Golden Grizzlies were within three. An and-one from Blackwell brought Oakland within two points with seven minutes to go. What was at one point a 16-point lead was a 3-pointer away from being erased.
Folley converted a tough layup and the and-one free throw to take a 58-57 lead for the Golden Grizzlies, their first of the night.
After Purdue Fort Wayne took a two-point lead, Blackwell hit a big corner three to take a one-point lead, then came back on the next possession and buried a shot to stretch the lead.
The three was the difference, and Oakland held on for the 63-60 win, shutting down the Mastodons final two possessions.
