ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team opens up its 2024-25 season at home Monday (Nov. 4) against Defiance, followed by a road matchup against Boise State Wednesday (Nov. 6).

Currently sitting at 699 total wins, head coach Greg Kampe will look to become just the 10th active DI head coach to reach the 700 career win mark, and only the 39th head coach in DI history to do so.

The Golden Grizzlies (0-0, 0-0 HL) split its pair of exhibition games during its preseason slate as it faced off against Michigan inside Little Caesars Arena, and Rochester Christian right down the road.

In the teams first exhibition at Little Caesars Arena, the Golden Grizzlies faced a tough Michigan Wolverines team and fell, 92-48. Graduate transfer Jayson Woodrich led Oakland with 18 points, including two three-pointers, while DQ Cole and Allen Mukeba made significant contributions with nine rebounds and 11 points, respectively. Michigan held a commanding presence throughout, shooting at a .600 clip in the first half and pulling ahead, 48-26, by halftime. The Wolverines' 52-33 rebounding edge and 15 three-pointers were critical factors in keeping Oakland at bay despite strong efforts from Woodrich and Cole.

Shifting the momentum, Oakland rebounded in its second exhibition with an 87-74 victory over Rochester Christian at Garth Pleasant Arena. Allen Mukeba shined with 24 points and a double-double, pacing the team with 10 rebounds. DQ Cole added 19 points, helping Oakland stay ahead after an early lead sparked by Woodrich's three-pointer. Oakland's shooting was sharp at a .532 mark, with key contributions from Jaylen Jones and Mukeba's defensive plays and offensive rebounds solidifying the lead. Despite Rochester Christian's Brett White scoring 31 points, Oakland's consistent defensive pressure and balanced offense clinched the win, setting an optimistic tone prior to the start of the regular season.

MONDAY, NOV. 4
OPPONENT: Defiance College
LOCATION: OU Credit Union O'rena - Rochester, Mich.
TIME: 7:00 p.m. ET
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LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
TICKETS

The Yellow Jackets opened up its season this past weekend at the Purple and Gold Tournament with a pair of NAIA matchups against Great Lakes Christian and Miami-Middletown. Defiance is coached by Josh Gibson who enters his fourth season at the helm of the Yellow Jackets with an overall record of 19-52, as the team went 11-11 in his first season, followed by a 7-18 record and a 1-23 record last season. The Golden Grizzlies are one of four Division I schools the Yellow Jackets will face, and the first, as it'll face Toledo, Purdue Fort Wayne and Miami (Ohio) later this season.

The Golden Grizzlies are undefeated against Defiance, 9-0, in a matchup that dates back to 1986, its closest contest as Oakland came away with the win, 59-53. The Golden Grizzlies most recently played the Yellow Jackets in its season opener of the 2022-23 season as Oakland won handily, 92-27, giving up less than 15 points in each half. In the win, four separate Golden Grizzlies recorded double-digit points, as the team shot at an impressive .579 clip from the field, with a .696 mark in the opening half.

Tip-off from the OU Credit Union O'rena is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
OPPONENT: Boise State
LOCATION: ExtraMile Arena - Boise, Idaho
TIME: 9:00 p.m. ET
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LIVE STREAM: MWN
LIVE AUDIO

The Golden Grizzlies look for its first win against the Broncos as it's 0-2 against Boise State. Both games have taken place in Boise, Idaho, as Oakland fell, 77-57, in its last meeting during the 2022-23 meeting. Prior to that, the Golden Grizzlies played the Broncos close, in 2012, as it dropped an 88-80 contest inside the Taco Bell Arena.

The Broncos finished the 2023-24 season 22-11, with a 13-5 record in the Mountain West. Despite its quarterfinal loss in the Mountain West Championship Tournament, the team earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament and played in one of the First Four games as a 10-seed. The Broncos fell to the Colorado Buffalo, 60-53, to put its season to an end.
 
The Broncos return its top player in forward Tyson Degenhart as the now senior averaged 33.0 minutes per game and played, and started, in all but one game. Degenhart shot at a .503 mark from the floor with 30 makes from beyond the arc, finishing the season with 16.7 points per game. Degenhart nearly led the team off the glass, with 6.2 per game, as returning senior O'Mar Stanley set the pace with 6.6 per game in 33 games played.

Led by Leon Rice who enters his 15th season as the Broncos head coach, Rice has led the team to five NCAA appearances, three NIT appearances and one CBI appearances. Last season, the Broncos averaged 75.1 points per game while its opponents scored 67.3 points per game. The team shot at a .449 clip from the floor, with a .340 mark from range, as Boise State brought down 37.3 rebounds per game.

Tip-off from ExtraMile Arena is slated for 9:00 p.m. ET.

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