ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team returns home for Military Appreciation Night as it'll take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles Thursday (Nov. 21) inside the OU Credit Union O'rena, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (1-3, 0-0 HL) wrapped up a tough road trip as it traveled to Champaign, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 13 to face #RV Illinois, followed by a visit to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Nov. 16 as it took on #1 Kansas.

Oakland fell to Illinois, 66-54, at the State Farm Center as Jayson Woodrich and DQ Cole paced the team with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Oakland had contributions from seven players, with Allen Mukeba leading in rebounds with six.

The Golden Grizzlies kept the game competitive in the first half, shooting at a .500 clip from the floor and trailing by just seven at halftime. Oakland closed the gap early in the second half to two points but a 11-0 Illinois run put the team behind. Despite late efforts, Illinois maintained a double-digit lead to secure the win. As a whole, Oakland shot .377 from the floor (20-of-53) with four three-pointers, while Illinois shot .418 from the field (23-of-55), including seven threes.

In a matchup against #1 Kansas, Oakland fell 78-57, as the team was led by Allen Mukeba, who scored a game and career-high 19 points and added five rebounds. Buru Naivalurua contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Golden Grizzlies started strong, staying competitive early before a 16-5 Kansas run put the Jayhawks ahead, 46-24, at halftime. Oakland shot .345 from the floor in the first half compared to Kansas' .679 mark. In the second half, Oakland fought hard, using a late 14-5 run to cut Kansas' lead from 30 to 21, but ultimately fell. The Golden Grizzlies shot at a .436 clip overall with six three-pointers and nearly matched Kansas in rebounds, trailing 32-30 but secured four more offensive boards with 10.

Mukeba leads the Golden Grizzlies with 12.3 points per game as he shoots at a .545 clip from the floor and has brought down a total of 17 boards. Off the glass, and the only other Golden Grizzly to average double-digit points, Naivalurua leads with 8.0 rebounds per game to go along with his 10.8 points, shooting at a .526 clip. Malcolm Christie paces the team in three's made with nine and hits at a .321 clip.
 
As a team, the Golden Grizzlies average 57.3 points per game and allow 70.8. On the floor, Oakland hits at a .378 clip with a .210 mark from range, as its opponents hit at a .466 clip from the floor with a .333 mark from three. Off the glass, the Golden Grizzlies average one less rebound than its opposition with 34.8.
 
DATE: Nov. 21
OPPONENT: Eastern Michigan
LOCATION: OU Credit Union O'rena - Rochester, Mich.
TIME: 7:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
TICKETS
 
The Golden Grizzlies and Eagles have faced off the last two seasons as Oakland has come away with wins in each, as Oakland visited Ypsilanti last season and won, 77-63, after it hosted Eastern Michigan in 2022 and won in overtime, 92-90. Naivalurua, Cole and Isaiah Jones are the only returners that saw action during last season's win as Cole led the three with 11 points, going 5-of-10 from the floor and bringing down six rebounds. As a whole, the Golden Grizzlies are 8-6 against the Eagles, dating back to 1987, as Oakland is 4-2 when playing at home.
 
A trio of Eagles average double-digit points as Jalen Terry leads the team with 18.5 points per game, right ahead of Jalin Billingsley who averages 15.3 points per game. Both Terry and Billingsley shoot at or over a .500 clip from the floor as Billingsley leads with a .521 mark. Terry, whose made the most threes on the team with 14, paces the team off the glass with 7.3 rebounds per game.
 
Coached by Stan Heath who enters his fourth season at the helm of the Eagles, the team both averages and allows 66.0 points per game. From the floor, the Eagles hit at a .419 clip and makes 7.0 threes per game, while its opponents hit at a .382 clip with 6.5 threes per game. Off the glass, the Eagles hold the advantage over its opponents with 38.8 per game, 3.8 rebounds more per game.
 
Tip-off from the OU Credit Union O'rena is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET.
 
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