ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies will take a quick break from conference play as the team travels to Detroit, Mich., tomorrow (Dec. 17) for a battle with the Michigan State Spartans, who have recently entered the AP Top-25, followed by a sole conference game at Cleveland State Thursday (Dec. 19).
 
Oakland will take on Michigan State inside Little Caesars Arena for 'College Basketball in the D', with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on ESPN2 which marks the teams second nationally-televised game so far this season. After, it will cap-off its 2024 conference schedule with a visit to Cleveland State, streamed live on ESPN+, with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. ET.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (3-5, 1-1 HL) are fresh off their first two conference games of the season. Oakland opened conference play with a 66-64 home win over Wright State before a 66-50 road loss to Youngstown State.
 
In the conference opener win on Thursday, Dec. 5, Allen Mukeba stuffed the stat sheet with a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds. Buru Naivalurua played the perfect frontcourt partner to Mukeba with his 14 points and seven rebounds. Off the bench, Jaylen Jones was a presence, finishing the game with a steal while leading the team with nine rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies led 37-34 at halftime, backed by their strong presence in the paint and ability to convert on second-chance opportunities. In the second half, the game came down to the wire before Mukeba hit a go-ahead layup to secure the win. At the end of the game, Oakland outrebounded Wright State 35-29 and shot .426 as a team, securing a meaningful win on the season.
 
Against Youngstown State on Saturday, Dec. 7, Mukeba led the team in scoring with 17 points. Off the glass, Mukeba and Naivalurua came away with the most, with five apiece. The Golden Grizzlies entered halftime trailing, 32-23, as the team struggled to convert from deep, shooting .250 in the first half. In the second half, Oakland worked to narrow the margin, but the team continued to struggle from outside, ending the game with a .125 rate from range compared to Youngstown State's .296.
 
Mukeba leads the Golden Grizzlies in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per game. DQ Cole and Naivalurua, who leads Oakland in rebounds with 7.6 per game, join Mukeba as the trio of Golden Grizzlies to average double-digits this season.
 
As a team, the Golden Grizzlies average 61.8 points per game and give up 66.6 per game. At the glass, Oakland comes away with 34.6 per game for a 1.1 margin. On the hardwood, the Golden Grizzlies shoot at a .414 clip and a .253 clip from deep.
 
DATE: Dec. 17
OPPONENT: #21 Michigan State
LOCATION: Little Caesars Arena - Detroit, Mich.
TIME: 7:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN2
LIVE AUDIO
TICKETS
GAME NOTES
 
The Spartans (8-2, 2-0 B1G) enter the game on a three-game win streak, which started with a 94-91 overtime win against the No. 12 North Carolina Tarheels at the Maui Invitational. Following that, the Spartans opened Big Ten conference play on the road with a 90-72 win against Minnesota before a convincing 89-52 victory over Nebraska from the Breslin Center. 
 
The Golden Grizzlies and the Spartans are no strangers, as this game marks the 23rd time the programs have played one another. Throughout the history between these teams, the Spartans have won every matchup, as the Golden Grizzlies are still searching for their first win over the Spartans. The last time out in the 2023-24 season, Oakland trailed the Spartans by just eight points heading into halftime but could not complete the comeback, losing to Michigan State, 79-62. Cole, Naivalurua, Isaiah Jones and Cooper Craggs all saw minutes in last season's game, as Naivalurua brought down six boards in just 13 minutes of action
 
From the floor, senior Jaden Akins leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 13.0 points per game, making him one of three Spartans to average double-digits in scoring this season. Off the glass, junior Jaxon Kohler leads the team in rebounds, bringing in 8.3 per game.
 
The Spartans average 82.3 points per game this season and have held their opponents to 68.3. In the rebounding department, Michigan State has come away with 41.0 a game compared to their opponent's 29.6 for an 11.4 margin. As a team, the Spartans shoot .482 from the field and .272 from beyond the arc.
 
Tip-off from Little Caesars Arena is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
 
DATE: Dec. 19
OPPONENT: Cleveland State
LOCATION: Wolstein Center - Cleveland, Ohio
TIME: 7:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
GAME NOTES
 
The Vikings (6-6, 1-1 HL) come into the game after splitting their first two conference games of the season on the road, as they lost to Milwaukee, 79-67, before defeating Green Bay, 83-61. After their road trip, Cleveland State took care of Brescia University on their home floor with a final score of 103-37.
 
The Golden Grizzlies have an all-time record of 16-13 over the Vikings and have recently dominated the series, winning five of the last seven matchups. The last time out in the 2024 Horizon League playoffs, Oakland and Cleveland State were knotted up 38-38 after the first 20 before Trey Townsend and Cole hit clutch free throws late to lift the Golden Grizzlies to the Horizon League Championship Game.
 
On the floor, Tevin Smith leads Cleveland State in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game, making him the only Vikings to average double-digits. Dylan Arnett leads the team in rebounds with 7.8 per game and has also averaged 9.2 points per game this season.
 
Cleveland State averages 69.3 points per game this season, while their opponents have averaged 65.7. Off the glass, the Vikings average 33.3 boards a game and give up 32.5 rebounds for a margin of 0.8. As a team, the Vikings shoot at a .433 clip and a .284 clip from beyond the arc.
 
Tip-off from the Wolstein Center is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be live-streamed on ESPN+.
 
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