ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team returns home and looks to build off its last two wins as it hosts IUPUI Saturday inside the OU Credit Union O'rena, with tip-off set for 3:00 p.m. ET.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (17-10, 12-4 HL) took care of the Mastodons, 71-63, Wednesday as Oakland finished one of its most difficult road trips of the season 2-1.
 
After the team beat Wright State on the road (Feb. 10), the team traveled to Fort Wayne to try and avenge its early loss of the season and earn the split. Oakland held the high-powered offense of Purdue Fort Wayne to 24 points in the opening 20, but kept it close throughout the first half.
 
The Mastodons knotted things up at 19 apiece, but Oakland went on a 15-5 run to end the half to head into the locker room up by double-digits. Rocket Watts, who netted his 1000th career point with a two, DQ Cole and Trey Townsend got in on the action, followed by Blake Lampman and Jack Gohlke as Oakland neared the end of the first on a 12-0 run. The Mastodons struggled down the stretch as it went almost six minutes without a point but eventually converted off a fast break layup and a three, with a Gohlke make form range sandwiched in between.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne stormed back in the second half and knotted things up at 45 before it grabbed its first lead of the game since the score showed 10-9. Lampman tallied the first field goal for the Golden Grizzlies in 7:37 of game time as he hit his 1000th career point, all with the Golden Grizzlies, with a make from range. Cole retook the lead but back-to-back Mastodon three's put Oakland behind once again.
 
Cole sank his fourth three of the game, followed by a Chris Conway two to regain the lead. From then, the Golden Grizzlies stayed ahead as Gohlke put the game on ice as he drilled a three with :38 seconds to go to put Oakland up by two possessions. Oakland's lead was too large for the Mastodons as it went on to take the game, 71-63.
 
The Golden Grizzlies were led by Gohlke who tallied 23 points and hit six shots from range and added five points from the line. Conway led off the glass for Oakland as he brought down seven boards to go with his 12 points.
 
The Mastodons outshot the Golden Grizzlies in the second half, 14-of-28 (.500) compared to 11-of-24 (.458), but Oakland led the game as it shot at a .490 clip (24-of-49) from the floor. Both teams added five from range in the second half, as Oakland shot 11-of-24 (.458) from deep. The Golden Grizzlies held the edge off the glass as it totaled seven more boards than the Mastodons.
 
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
The Golden Grizzlies beat the Jaguars (6-21, 2-14 HL) earlier this season, 88-66, on the road back in January. Since then, IUPUI grabbed one of its two conference wins as it took down Purdue Fort Wayne on the road, 85-79, but enter Saturday's matchup having lost seven-straight. Of the team's six wins, three have come from Division I opponents in Valparaiso, Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne.
 
In its January matchup, Oakland built an 11-0 lead before IUPUI grabbed its first basket of the game five minutes into it. The Jaguars cut the lead down to its smallest deficit of the game at eight near the midway point of the opening half, but Oakland proceeded on a 15-0 run, highlighted two threes from Watts, a three from Townsend and a couple baskets in between, to quickly go ahead 23.
 
The team held its double-digit point lead throughout as the closest the Jaguars got in the second half was 14 points, a handful of times, but the lead was too strong as the Golden Grizzlies continued to hit its shots and win, 88-66. Cole led the team with his 19 points as a total six Golden Grizzlies were in the double figures for points.
 
Oakland dominates IUPUI on its home court and holds a 17-4 record over the Jaguars, as it has only lost once in its last 12 meetings inside the OU Credit Union O'rena. The Golden Grizzlies are 7-3 in its last 10 against the Jaguars and look for its third-straight season sweep of IUPUI.
 
Jlynn Counter leads the Jaguars with his 14.6 points per game as he shoots at a .468 clip (130-of-278) from the floor and has added 20 threes on the year. Bryce Monroe is the only other Jaguars in the double-digits in points per game with 11.1. Off the glass, Qwanzi Samuels leads the team with 5.2 rebounds per game.
 
The Jaguars have struggled on the year and average 66.0 points per game, 13 less points than it allows to its opponents (79.0 ppg). On the floor, the team shoots at a .439 clip and allows its opponents to shoot .502 from the field. With 3.6 threes per game, the team is .251 from range and has a rebound margin of -3.1 with 29.9 boards per game.
 
Tip-off from the OU Credit Union O'rena is slated for 3:00 PM ET Saturday, Feb. 17.
 
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