YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Golden Grizzlies fell to the Penguins, 66-50, this afternoon inside the Beeghly Center.

The Golden Grizzlies (3-5, 1-1 HL) saw a trio of Golden Grizzlies in the double-digits as Allen Mukeba led the team with 17 points, as he and Buru Naivalurua paced the team with five rebounds each.

The Penguins (5-5, 1-1 HL) were led by EJ Farmer who tallied 22 points, as Nico Galette led the game with nine rebounds.

The Golden Grizzlies opened the game with defensive intensity, highlighted by Allen Mukeba's layup on the first possession to establish a 2-0 lead. Mukeba scored Oakland's next points, attacking the paint effectively. Oakland held a slim advantage early, bolstered by Cooper Craggs' three-pointer at the 17:01 mark, extending their lead to 7-3.

Youngstown State responded quickly behind Farmer, who knocked down three triples in the opening minutes. His back-to-back threes midway through the half erased Oakland's lead, tying the game at 9-9 with 14:35 left.

The teams traded buckets over the next stretch, with Oakland leaning on Mukeba's aggressiveness and Naivalurua's driving layup to keep pace. However, Youngstown State capitalized on Oakland's turnovers, as a Nico Galette steal led to a transition layup at 7:43 to give the Penguins their first lead, 17-15.

Despite a three-pointer by DQ Cole late in the half, the Golden Grizzlies found themselves trailing 32-23 at halftime as Youngstown State closed the half on a 15-6 run.

After the first 20, the Golden Grizzlies were 8-of-22 (.364) from the floor while the Penguins shot at a .440 clip (11-of-25) from the floor. Oakland made a pair from range, as both teams brought down 15 rebounds.

Oakland attempted to mount a comeback early in the second half, cutting the deficit to 32-25 after a jumper by Naivalurua. However, Youngstown's defense tightened, forcing turnovers and contesting Oakland's shots. The Penguins found offensive balance, connecting on key baskets to push the lead back to double digits.

The Golden Grizzlies struggled to find offensive consistency as Youngstown State's defense limited second-chance opportunities. Youngstown State's ability to execute in transition and at the free-throw line sealed the victory as the Penguins outscored Oakland 34-27 in the second half to take the game, 66-50,

The Golden Grizzlies finished the afternoon shooting at a .346 clip (18-of-52) from the floor, as the Penguins finished the day at a .442 clip (23-of-52). The Golden Grizzlies were narrowly outrebounded, with 30 compared to the Penguins 33.

The Golden Grizzlies don't return to the court until Dec. 17 as it'll take on Michigan State inside Little Caesars Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be nationally-televised on ESPN2. All Oakland games this season will be live streamed through audio via The Bet1270 AM (WXYT-AM) & the Audacy App with Neal Ruhl on the call.