INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Six different Golden Grizzlies hit double figures in points as Oakland took down IUPUI, 88-66, today inside the Indiana Farmers Coliseum for its fifth-straight win, the first time Oakland has won five straight since 2021.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (11-8, 6-2 HL) saw six players in the double digits for points, as DQ Cole led the way with 19 after he went 7-of-13 (.538) from the floor with one three. Rocket Watts was right behind with 16, as Isaiah Jones nearly recorded a double-double with 14 points and nine boards.
 
The Jaguars (5-14, 1-7 HL) had a pair of players with 10+ points as Jlynn Counter led the team with 17 points off 6-of-12 (.500) and also tied a team-high in rebounds with five. Bryce Monroe followed Counter with 16 points as the only other Jaguars in the double digits.
 
Cole started where he left off and sank a three, followed by another score off a drive-in and a layup from Blake Lampman to jump to an early lead. Jones kept the ball rolling and scored the Golden Grizzlies ninth point to start the game as the Jaguars stayed stagnant at zero. A Lampman dunk capped off the 11-0 run before IUPUI got on the board with a two.
 
Oakland kept it rolling from there with two from the charity stripe followed by a make from downtown by Trey Townsend to extend the lead to 12 at the 13:46 mark. IUPUI eventually cut the deficit to single digits, at 20-12, but Jones made a quick two to bump the lead back to 10. After a pair from the free throw line, the Golden Grizzlies moved the ball around the horn before Watts drained one from deep, followed by a Tuburu Naivalurua two.
 
Cole tacked on his seventh point in as many minutes before the Jaguars turned the ball over in its defensive zone. Cole made yet another layup, followed by Watts and Towsend who both matched each other's threes as the Golden Grizzlies went on a 15-0 run in the span of 3:58. The Jaguars finally got back on the board with its first field goal in nearly five minutes, but the Oakland train kept chugging along as Watts floated one in for two.
 
Oakland held on to its 20+-point lead until the Jaguars hit its first three of the contest with 2:15 left to play, followed by two free throws to make it an 18-point game with under two minutes to play. Jack Gohlke bumped it back to that mark though with three from the charity stripe, followed by one free throw make from IUPUI, for the final points of the half as Oakland went into the locker room up, 46-26.
 
The Golden Grizzlies were in control on every front of the first half as it shot 16-of-31 (.516) from the field with five makes from three, compared to the Jaguars 10-of-26 (.385) from the floor and one from range. Oakland dominated off the glass with 19 boards compared to IUPUI's 11, with the difference maker being offensive boards with eight compared to three. Cole led the team in the first 20 with 13 points, followed by Watts with 12 as Oakland led for the whole first half.
 
Oakland started the second half off with fireworks as Townsend, from beyond the three-point line, sent a hook pass to Naivalurua for the alley-oop slam. The teams traded points but Oakland remained with a big lead as Lampman hit from range to extend the lead to 58-34. The Jaguars went on a 15-6 run in the next three minutes to make it a 15-point game, but the Golden Grizzlies hung around and didn't break to maintain the lead.
 
Oakland bumped its lead to 16 after another Naivalurua alley-oop with the help from Cole to make it 71-55 with a tick over eight minutes to play. Although the Jaguars hung around, Oakland had answered and kept the game at by between the 15-20 point margin down the stretch. A three, followed by a layup, threatened an IUPUI comeback, now down 14 points, but Lampman answered with a three of his own to ice the game.
 
Osei Price put it back at a 20-point game after he hit from downtown, as Jones made one final shot for the last points of the game for the Golden Grizzlies to win, 88-66, for its fifth-straight conference win.
 
The Golden Grizzlies shot better in the second half than the first at a .577 clip (15-of-26) as IUPUI also improved with a second half mark of .469 (15-of-32). In total, Oakland edged IUPUI from range as the Golden Grizzlies made nine from deep opposed to the Jaguars six. Oakland once again remained on top of the boards with 16 rebounds in the second half compared to IUPUI's nine for an overall 35 rebounds. IUPUI finished with 20 boards and just six offensively.
 
The Golden Grizzlies are back on its home court and continue league play Wednesday (Jan. 17) and will face off against Youngstown State. Tip-off is slated 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.