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Women's Basketball Jordan Nelson

Oakland Opens Up 2024 at YSU to Start Three Game Road Trip

Rochester, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies open up 2024 with a three-game road journey, beginning at Youngstown State on Wednesday.

Oakland is fresh off a much needed win against NKU, where the Golden Grizzlies were clicking on all cylinders, offensively and defensively.

Offensively, Markyia McCormick and Alexis Johnson both eclipsed the 20-point mark while Brooke Quarles-Daniels had her third straight game scoring at least 16 points and four rebounds. 

Quarles-Daniels is rising to the All-League form that she showed in her freshman season. Over the last three outings, the sophomore guard is averaging a team-high 18.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and has tallied eight steals and nine assists. 

Oakland has also seen the play of forward Miriam Ibezim elevate as of late. The Rochester, NY native has averaged a team-high six rebounds over the last three contests, while impacting the game in ways that might not show up on the stat sheet with her intensity and physicality down low.

The Golden Grizzlies bolster the second-best scoring offense in the Horizon League, averaging 76.7 ppg, trailing only league-leading Cleveland State.

McCormick and Johnson, who both had amazing performances last time out, are huge pieces to the Golden Grizzlies' offensive puzzle. McCormick is in many ways the lead offensive guard for Oakland. Averaging a team-best 12.45 ppg, she has limitless three-point range and shot creation ability to go along with efficiency, as she is shooting .380 3FG% (24-63) this season.

Johnson is Oakland's best threat on the wing, averaging 8.64 ppg on .360 3FG%. She has the ability to score on all three levels and is key to the drive-and-kick offense of Oakland.

 Going forward, both stars will need performances like they had against NKU regularly if Oakland hopes to climb the standings.

With a defense as potent as Oakland's, which still leads the Horizon League in spg by a wide margin (13.09), it is a scary sight to see their offense click like it has in their last few games.

The Golden Grizzlies see the new year as a new slate. After going 0-2 in an early pair of league games, their recent victory against NKU may serve to set a trend of in-league success as the Golden Grizzlies sit at 1-2 in league play with only Horizon League opponents from here on out.

The series history between Oakland and their upcoming opponent, Youngstown State, is nearly even. Oakland holds a 12-14 all-time record against the Penguins, but has lost their previous two matchups. In the most recent game between the in-league foes, Youngstown State used a pair of 24-plus point quarters to emerge victorious 85-62 on Feb. 9, 2023.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS

Youngstown State sits just below Oakland in the standings, sitting at ninth place in the Horizon League. The Penguins most recently snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating IUPUI 58-56 on New Year's Eve, gaining their first league win of the season.

The Penguins are led by fifth year forward Emily Saunders, who averages 11.5 ppg, has scored in double-digits in eight games this season and already has one Horizon League Player of the Week honors under her belt this season.

Watch as Oakland looks to even out their league record to 2-2 against Youngstown State this Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.

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Players Mentioned

Miriam Ibezim

#33 Miriam Ibezim

F
6' 2"
Sophomore
Brooke Quarles-Daniels

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels

PG
5' 7"
Freshman
Alexis Johnson

#23 Alexis Johnson

F
5' 10"
Junior
Markyia McCormick

#10 Markyia McCormick

G
5' 6"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Miriam Ibezim

#33 Miriam Ibezim

6' 2"
Sophomore
F
Brooke Quarles-Daniels

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels

5' 7"
Freshman
PG
Alexis Johnson

#23 Alexis Johnson

5' 10"
Junior
F
Markyia McCormick

#10 Markyia McCormick

5' 6"
Graduate Student
G