ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies took the court, looking to complete their first season series sweep as they hosted Robert Morris.

Alexis Johnson opened the night with Oakland's first field goal, draining a triple as she seemed to be still riding the hot hand she had against Youngstown State, giving the Golden Grizzlies an early 4-3 lead.

The Oakland offense didn't start out blazing hot, but the ball movement looked crisp and had purpose, flowing around the perimeter while the team smartly attacked closeouts and got into the paint for opportunities at the bucket or drive and kick shots.

Playing aggressive and hard, Oakland took advantage of contact in the paint, scoring 10 of their 19 points from the free throw line, going 10-of-14 (.714) while RMU shot only two free throws in the quarter.

Maddy Skorupski laid in a lefty layup as the quarter ended, finishing off a 7-0 run to close the quarter for Oakland, giving them a 19-13 lead heading into the second quarter. Oakland was able to shake off a cold 4-of-14 (.286) shooting start with hard-nosed defensive play, forcing Robert Morris to go just 5-of-13 (.385) in the opening frame.

Cam Grant had a strong showing, playing with assertiveness on both ends, leading all players with four points and three rebounds in the first quarter.

The Golden Grizzlies opened up their lead soon into the second quarter, going on a 7-0 run as McCormick knocked down her first triple of the game to give Oakland a game-high 11-point lead at 26-15 with 7:29 left in the first half.

The Oakland defense played up to their full potential in the first half, snuffing out several RMU possessions. While they only forced four Colonials turnovers, it was obvious that RMU was rushed in their approach for most of the half, scoring only 11 points in the second quarter on 5-of-16 (.313) shooting.

The Colonials closed the half on a 7-2 run, slightly boosting their shooting numbers and slightly closing the deficit. The Golden Grizzlies still took a 30-24 lead into halftime behind an incredible defensive half.

McCormick led all Oakland scorers with six points in the half, while Grant, Skorupski, and Montue all added four points each.

To open the second half Robert Morris carried on their momentum, starting the half on a 9-0 run to take a 33-30 lead with 5:40 left in the third. McCormick stopped the RMU run with a pair of free throws, cutting the lead to just one (32-33), but Oakland's offense would have to bounce back from a 0-of-6 drought from the field to start the half.

Johnson hit a leaning free-throw line jumper, her fifth points of the game, and Quarles-Daniels got into the lane with 3:44 left in the quarter to retake a 36-34 lead for the Golden Grizzlies.

Oakland's offense got as hot as it had been all game, hitting back-to-back shots from deep, courtesy of Skorupski and McCormick, as they outscored RMU 11 to five in the final three minutes of the quarter, leading 47-41 with just one quarter left to play.

The fourth quarter started with both teams shooting lights out, trading three-pointers on four consecutive possessions. Montue and Van Schaik would drill the shots from deep to start the quarter, giving Oakland a 55-49 lead with 5:33 left to play.

With time winding down, Robert Morris went on a 9-0 run, as Rebecca Dwomoh nailed a triple to give the Colonials a 60-59 lead with 0:48 remaining. Montue responded for Oakland, knocking down a critical free throw to tie the game at 60, sending Oakland into overtime for the second time this season. 

McCormick led all Oakland players with 13 points at the end of regulation, joined by Quarles-Daniels (10) as the only Golden Grizzlies in double figures.

Robert Morris jumped into a 5-0 stint right at the outset of overtime, taking a 54-51 lead with 1:58 left to play after a Dwomoh free throw notched her 12th point of the game. Montue wouldn't let Oakland lose complete momentum, driving to the lane and bringing Oakland within a single possession (63-65) with 1:43 left.

The Colonials had possession with 30 seconds left on the clock, with an opportunity to put the game away, but the Golden Grizzlies stood on the defense that kept them in the game, forcing a crucial turnover and gaining a potential game-winning possession with 0:28 left in overtime.

Quarles-Daniels drew a foul, and knocked down both free throws to tie the game with just 0:23 remaining. One defensive possession away, Oakland came up with another stop, and secured a final possession with 1.6 seconds left.

With the game on the line, Oakland found Skorupski in the paint as she flipped up a layup at the buzzer to lift Oakland to a 67-65 victory.

Along with her first career game-winner, Skorupski finished with 10 points (4-of-9), two assists, and two rebounds.

"We're so thrilled. For Maddy to hit that shot at the end of the game, I couldn't be more excited for her… It's phenomenal and a great feeling to win that way," said Acting Head Coach Deanna Richard. 

McCormick's 13 points led all Golden Grizzlies. Quarles-Daniels nearly reached a double-double with 12 points (6-of-6 FT) and nine rebounds. Montue also scored 11 points to go along with three rebounds and three steals.

After a three-game losing skid, The Golden Grizzlies reflected and made the adjustments needed to win, a trait of a successful team when late-season games roll around.

"I talked a lot before the game about it being Women in Sports Day, and all the young girls that would be here watching. We have a standard that we need to set, and have the enthusiasm and energy so that the young girls can look up to us. I think that really helped drive our players' energy," said Richard after the big win.

The Golden Grizzlies thrived on the defensive end, a tactic that showed them much success earlier in the season. Robert Morris shot under .400 on the game, going just 25-of-63 over the game, while only shooting .250 (6-of-24) from deep.

Richard spoke on Oakland's defense, saying, "We worked a lot on defense with just one day of preparation. We had to be able to defend straight line drives, and they got it done today. Our press was pretty good, and I told them to not forget that we are ranked fourth in the nation in steals for a reason. We are a great defensive team when we want to be, we just have to be able to buckle down and do it."



The Golden Grizzlies look to ride the momentum they have going as they head to Cleveland State for a pivotal game next Thursday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m.

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