Golden Grizzlies Look to Extinguish the Phoenix in Third of Four Straight Home Games

ROCHESTER, Mich - The Golden Grizzlies jump right back onto the court just 48 hours after their previous game as they prepare to take on Green Bay this Saturday.

After a tough loss to Milwaukee on Thursday, Oakland looks to get their offense back on track.

Oakland was ice cold from the floor against Milwaukee, shooting just 23-of-76 (.303) from the floor, 2-of-17 (.118) from beyond the arc, and 3-of-11 (.273) from the free throw line. The night was an abnormality for the Golden Grizzlies, marking just the second time this season they've collectively gone less than .300 from the field.

Alexis Johnson and Brooke Quarles-Daniels were largely the only sources of offense for
Oakland, combining for 26 of the Golden Grizzlies' 51 points in the game. The duo also left it all out on the defensive end, grabbing four steals a piece as they led a second half resurgence in the Oakland offense, boosting the team shooting percentage from .222 (8-of-36 FG) in the opening half to .375 (15-of-40 FG) in the second half.

Despite grabbing 23 offensive boards, tying a season high, Oakland was out-rebounded 45 to 38, another rare occurrence this season for Oakland.

Next up for Oakland is a tough opponent in Green Bay, who stands atop the Horizon League ladder.

An area where Oakland will have the advantage is in the turnover battle. Oakland holds the highest turnover margin (6.44) and forces their opponents to a league-high 22.6 turnovers per game. Against Milwaukee Oakland turned over the Panthers 21 times, while only committing 10 turnovers themselves, continuing a trend of taking care of the ball.

The Golden Grizzlies won't be backing down, and are no strangers to knocking off top league opponents, beating Detroit Mercy on Jan. 13 who at the time was ranked third in the Horizon League.

"We have to just bounce back. If we can execute our game plan and play the way we are supposed to, as a team, as a unit, and as a unit, then our team is pretty special", said Acting Head Coach Deanna Richard.

The Golden Grizzlies are planning to shake off some bad history against The Phoenix, seeking their first head-to-head win since a home victory in Jan. of 2020. In their last matchup, which came in Feb. of 2023, a familiar duo of Johnson and Quarles-Daniels were the only Oakland players to score in double digits, tallying 10 each.

SCOUTING THE PHOENIX

Green Bay stands as the lone undefeated team in conference play (8-0). With a 15-3 overall record, the team ranks second in points per game (75.4), first in points allowed (56.6), and first in field goal percentage (.495).

In the midst of a 10-winning streak, they most recently beat Detroit Mercy 75-48 on Jan. 18. The Phoenix have not lost a contest since a 64-68 loss to DePaul on Dec. 5.

The gaudy wins are a team effort, with five players on the team averaging over eight points per game.

Tune in to this clash of Horizon League foes on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. on the Blacktop in Rochester.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels: PG; 5' 7"; Freshman

#23 Alexis Johnson: F; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: PG

#23 Alexis Johnson
: 5' 10"; Junior
: F

Players Mentioned

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels

#23 Alexis Johnson

Players Mentioned

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels

#23 Alexis Johnson