INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time in program history, the Oakland women's basketball team will compete in the Keeps Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship Semifinals. The Golden Grizzlies will face off against no. 1 seed IUPUI Monday at noon at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum on ESPN+.
Oakland enters Monday's semifinals game as the no. 7 seed after knocking off no. 2 Youngstown State, 63-52 Thursday night on the road.
THE MATCH UP
- Oakland (15-14, 11-9 HL) vs IUPUI (22-6, 18-4 HL)
- Series: IUPUI holds the slight 21-20 advantage
- Oakland looks to snap its 11-game losing streak against the Jags and earn its first win since 2012
- The two squads met a season ago in the quarterfinals, the Golden Grizzlies fell, 86-64.
NOTES
During its current three-game win streak, Oakland is holding opponents to just 45.7 points per game, about 17.5 points fewer than its season average
Kahlaijah Dean paces the Golden Grizzlies with 15.4 points per game this season while
Breanne Beatty adds 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game
No. 1 seed IUPUI and No. 7 seed Oakland met twice during the regular season with the Jags earning a 74-49 win in Rochester, Mich. and a 64-56 battle in Indy
Kahlaijah Dean was named All-Horizon League Third Team, while teammate
Kendall Folley garnered All-Horizon League Freshman Team honors
IUPUI's Macee Williams, the first four-time #HLWBB Player of the Year in League history, ranks fifth in the country in field-goal percentage (63.5) and leads the League with 10.1 rebounds per game. Rachel McLimore is fourth nationally in free-throw percentage (92.9) while Rachel Kent leads the Jags and the League with 2.5 three-point field goals per game.
LAST TIME OUT
Kahlaijah Dean led the Oakland with 18 points, 17 coming in the second half. Dean scored 12 points in the fourth quarter alone. The senior went 4-12 from the floor, and 8-11 from the charity stripe.
Breanne Beatty finished with 14 points on 5-10 shooting, including three triples. The junior pulled down seven boards on the night.
Brianna Breedy rounded out Oakland's double-digit performers, scoring 10 on the night and dishing out a game-high six assists.
The Golden Grizzlies went an impressive 47 percent (8-17) from 3-point range Thursday against YSU.
