ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team looks to bounce back on its home floor as the schedule turns back to non-conference play as Oakland takes on Toledo for Military Appreciation Night inside the OU Credit Union O'rena, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (5-4, 1-1 HL) fell for the first time in nearly two weeks and dropped its first league game against Purdue Fort Wayne last Saturday (Dec. 2)
 
The Mastodons came out of the gates early and didn't look back as it took the lead :20 seconds into the game and didn't let it up. Purdue Fort Wayne started on a 17-4 run in the first five minutes which forced the Golden Grizzlies to play catch up early.
 
In a hole, the Golden Grizzlies attempted to cut its deficit to single-digit points, but the Mastodons always seemed to have an answer. It wasn't until 6:20 was left on the clock where Isaiah Jones cut the game to eight, but a layup from the other end pushed it back to 10.
 
Oakland found its groove as the clock ticked down and kept its deficit under double-digits for the final five minutes. A comeback sparked momentarily for the Golden Grizzlies as Jack Gohlke drilled a three, followed by a made free throw from Jones put the teams deficit to just four. However, a three from the Mastodons prior to the buzzer put the Golden Grizzlies down, 46-39, heading into the locker room.
 
Oakland hung around for the first three minutes, but the Mastodons, behind stellar shooting, pulled away and saw its lead grow to 20+. The Golden Grizzlies saw its largest deficit of the season at 32 points, but the team eventually chipped away at it in the final minutes to lead to the final, 98-77.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (5-4, 1-1 HL) saw DQ Cole lead the way as he netted a career-high 21 points for Oakland, a game high, while the team had four total players record double-digit points. Cole, along with Tuburu Naivalurua, tied each other for the team lead off the glass with seven boards each.
 
Although the Golden Grizzlies shot 46.8% from the field (29-of-62 FG), the Mastodons went 38-of-57 from the floor (.667) with 17 makes from range. Purdue Fort Wayne struggled to miss in the second half and shot 70%+ from both the field (21-of-29) and from range (7-of-10). Despite the loss, the Golden Grizzlies won the battle of the boards with 28 opposed to Purdue Fort Wayne's 24.
 
Nationally speaking, Gohlke ranks in the top-3 in three-point field goals made (33) and leads the nation in attempts. Gohlke also ranks sixth in the Horizon League in three-point percentage (.320) and paces the league in three-point field goals made per game (3.7).
 
Trey Townsend, who leads the Golden Grizzlies in points per game, finds himself in the top-10 in the conference in points per game (15.3) and ranks fourth for rebounds per game (7.6).
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS
The Toledo Rockets come into town for the eighth time in program history and the first time since the 2021-22 season. In the O'rena, the Golden Grizzlies broke a four-game losing streak against the Rockets with a win, 80-59, with four current Golden Grizzlies who saw the floor. Blake Lampman led the way of those four, off the bench, with 18 points. However, the last time these two squared off, Toledo got the best of Oakland with a win at home, 112-90. In the high-scoring affair, the Golden Grizzlies saw five players record double-digit points as Townsend went 12-of-21, with six from range, for 30 points. Townsend also grabbed 10 off the glass to complete the double-double.
 
In total, the Golden Grizzlies fare well at home against the Rockets and have lost only two games on its court. On the contrary, Toledo has the upper hand when it plays at home with a 7-2 record, along with a 2-0 record on a neutral court.
 
In total, with a 7-11 record, the Golden Grizzlies average 75.67 points per game against the Rockets and are 4-6 in its last 10. Oakland's longest win streak spanned three games over the time of 2008-16.
 
Toledo (3-4, 0-0 MAC) comes off four-straight losses and hasn't taken home a win since Nov. 14. In that four-game stretch, that team lets up 82.8 points per game while it puts up 76.5. The Golden Grizzlies will be the third and last Horizon League team the Rockets will face as its last win came at Wright State (78-77) after the team dominated Detroit Mercy (Nov. 6) in its first regular season game and won, 94-60.
 
At home, the Rockets fell to the George Mason Patriots, 86-77, for its fourth-straight loss. The Rockets struggled on the floor, notably in the second half, as it shot at a .385 clip in the final 20 to bring its total down to 42.1%. The Patriots secured 10 more boards than the Rockets and had three players in the double-digit point category, with its leading scorer, Amari Kelly, recording a double-double (24P-10R).
 
The Rockets have three players who record 10.0+ points per game as junior guard Ra'Heim Moss leads the way with 16.1 (.534 FG%) with only three makes from range. Moss, who also leads the team with 5.0 rebounds per game, ranks third in the MAC with his 16.1 points per game.
 
Although on the four-game skid, the Rockets still outscore its opposition, 80.7-78.0, but fall when it comes to rebounds by a margin of -2.7. As a whole, Toledo lets its opponents shoot better from the field at a .517 clip opposed to its .483, but shoot better from range (.398-.357)
 
Tip-off from the OU Credit Union O'rena is slated for 7:00 PM ET Wednesday, Dec. 6.
 
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