DETROIT, Mich. - Behind a strong defensive effort in the second half, the Oakland men's basketball team came away victorious against Detroit Mercy in its first conference game, 65-50, tonight inside Calihan Hall.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (5-3, 1-0 HL), who now have a four-game win streak, were led by Chris Conway who led the Golden Grizzlies charge with 16 points and Tuburu Naivalurua right behind with 11. Naivalurua, who tied his career-high in points, came off the bench and shot 5-of-6 (.833) from the field. Jack Gohlke led the way with his eight boards and drained three from range in the win.
 
The Titans (0-7, 0-1 HL) had six players contribute to the score sheet as standout guard Jayden Stone rallied in the second half and tallied 18 points while staying on the floor for all 40 minutes. Stone, who also led the team with nine boards, shot 5-of-15 from the floor.
 
Oakland snagged a quick pair of points from the charity stripe for the only points in the first three minutes and both sides had difficulty putting it through the rim. The game picked up following the first media timeout as each team exchanged the lead several times. The Golden Grizzlies upped the pressure on Stone, Detroit Mercy's leading scorer, and doubled him up in the opening minutes to force some uneasy shots.
 
The Golden Grizzlies found itself in a six-point hole, but a Conway layup followed by a turnaround jumper from Trey Townsend cut the team's deficit to two. The Titans got a quick bucket but two missed free throws put the Golden Grizzlies on the attack as Gohlke drilled one from deep to ignite Oakland.
 
After a make from Detroit Mercy, Townsend sped down the court and drove-in hard for two, followed by Gohlke who made yet another shot from deep to put the Golden Grizzlies ahead, 22-20, with 5:00 to go in the half. The Titans put up a fight and put Oakland down by three with two-straight makes, but the Golden Grizzlies came roaring back for a one-point lead with a minute left capped off by a Conway jumper. Oakland held onto its one-point lead and headed into the locker room up, 28-27.
 
Despite the lead, the Golden Grizzlies struggled offensively in the opening frame and shot at a .323 clip from the floor (10-of-31) with two makes from range. On the other end, Detroit Mercy hit three from beyond the arc along with 12 makes from the floor (.444 FG%). The Golden Grizzlies won the battle on the glass, with 21 opposed to the Titans 16, with the difference maker coming off the offensive end with nine offensive boards.
 
Gohlke came out firing as he led the Golden Grizzlies to tally three on its first possession of the second half. A turnover put the ball right back into the hands of the Golden Grizzlies as Conway went up strong with an under-the-hoop slam. The Golden Grizzlies carried its momentum throughout the first six minutes of play as it proceeded with a 13-4 run to open up the half.
 
The Golden Grizzlies continued to pull away and pushed its lead to 15 with 8:20 to go with the help of Conway who went up strong and made the basket and the foul. Rocket Watts put the Golden Grizzlies lead at 19 with 4:19 to play with his first make of the game from beyond the arc. The Golden Grizzlies locked down on defense in the second half as Oakland held Detroit Mercy to single-digit points for 16:30 of the half. The strong defensive effort propelled the Golden Grizzlies to jump ahead in the Horizon League standings and head home with a win, 65-50.
 
The Golden Grizzlies improved significantly from the field in the final 20 and went 14-of-26 (.538) with four from range. Oakland continued to lead off the glass with two more boards but contrary to the first half, the Titans grabbed two more offensive rebounds than the Golden Grizzlies. Oakland utilized its bench throughout and tallied 19 of its points from it. As a whole, the Golden Grizzlies upped its shooting percentage at a .421 clip while the Titans stayed under 40.0% with a mark of .364.
 
The Golden Grizzlies are back in action Saturday (Dec. 2) as it returns home for the first time since Nov. 14. Oakland is set to continue Horizon League play with a tilt against Purdue Fort Wayne at 3:00 p.m. ET. All Oakland games this season will be live streamed through audio via The Bet1270 AM (WXYT-AM) & the Audacy App with Neal Ruhl on the call.