YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Blake Lampman set career bests as the Golden Grizzlies recorded its most points scored on the season and defeated the Penguins, 88-81, this afternoon inside the Beeghly Center.
 
Lampman led the Golden Grizzlies (7-8, 2-2 HL) with a personal best 26 points and set a new career high in both field goals made (8-of-15) and makes from downtown (7-of-13). Followed by Lampman was Chris Conway who went 7-of-11 (.636) from the floor and Trey Townsend who recorded his second-straight double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.
 
The Penguins (10-4, 2-1 HL) saw four players in double figures with both Brett Thompson and Ziggy Reid that led the team with 16 points each, as Reid tied a team-high of seven boards along with DJ Burns.
 
Conway got the scoring started with a hook shot for two, but the Penguins came down and took the early lead from one from range. On the Golden Grizzlies ensuing possession, the team worked it around the horn and utilized great ball movement before it fell in the hands of Lampman who answered with a three of his own. However, the Penguins followed suit and made another from beyond the arc for an early 6-5 lead.
 
The teams continued to trade points where it wasn't until Jack Gohlke, who continued his streak of at least one made three in every game this season, as he hit from range to put the Golden Grizzlies ahead. The lead faded as Oakland went down two, but Gohlke, once again, drained one from the corner to retake a lead.
 
The Penguins inched ahead of the Golden Grizzlies but Gohlke kept with the hot hand and made another three for back-to-back from range, followed by a Townsend jumper for the lead with 7:26 to go in the opening frame. In a back-and-forth first half, the Penguins went on a 10-0 run and built a lead of seven before Conway put it to a halt, followed by a layup and a foul on Lampman to cut it back to two.
 
The Penguins kept it rolling from range and made its eighth three in the first to bump it to 36-31 followed by another. One last possession for Oakland before the buzzer fell short as the team went into the locker room down, 39-35.
 
Despite a better field goal percentage from the Golden Grizzlies, 50.0% (14-of-28) compared to 46.9% (15-of-32), the Penguins held on to a lead behind nine makes from three (9-of-16, .563 3FG). Both teams grabbed two offensive boards, but Oakland held the advantage with three more on the defensive end. Conway finished the first 20 with 12 points (6-of-7) and was the only player in double figures after the opening frame.
 
The Penguins opened on a 6-2 run, capped by another three, but Lampman came down the floor and answered with not one, not two, but three from downtown to give the Golden Grizzlies a 47-46 lead in the second half.
 
The Golden Grizzlies kept pace as Townsend added three points, one from the charity stripe and two from the floor, before the Penguins tied it back at 52 apiece. Lampman and the Golden Grizzlies kept it coming as it put on a clinic from downtown and made three straight with DQ Cole capping it off with one of his own.
 
The Penguins finally answered with a three, but the Golden Grizzlies kept it rolling as Cole sank another from range, followed by a Townsend layup. Youngstown State managed to cut into Oakland's lead to make it a four-point game, but the Golden Grizzlies kept up as Gohlke eventually made it a nine-point game with Oakland's 12th make from range.
 
Lampman drained his seventh from downtown and his 24th point, good for new career bests in both categories, as he bumped the Golden Grizzlies lead to double digits with 4:46 to play. Although the Golden Grizzlies were lethal from the floor, the Penguins hung around and forced Oakland to continue to make its shots. The Golden Grizzlies had control of the ball, up five, with under a minute left to play. A Conway free throw, followed by a miss on the other end of the floor from the Penguins, and more makes from the charity stripe put the game to rest as the Golden Grizzlies closed out 2023 on a high note, 88-81.
 
Contrary to the first half, it was the Golden Grizzlies who were lights out from range and went 9-of-13 (.692) as the Penguins only made three from deep. At a clip of .625 from the floor (15-of-24), Oakland finished at a .558 clip from the field (29-of-52) and shot 52.0% from range (13-of-25). Oakland dominated the glass and totaled 34 total boards, 10 more than the Penguins.
 
The Golden Grizzlies ring in the new year Thursday (Jan. 4) with a home matchup against Milwaukee with tip-off set for 7:00 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.