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Women's Basketball Jordan Nelson

Golden Grizzlies Return to the Blacktop for Rematch Against Penguins

ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies return to the Blacktop for their first home game in two weeks as they gear up for a rematch with Youngstown State.

The Golden Grizzlies come away from their road trip on a two-game losing skid, most recently falling to Northern Kentucky 82-90 as they split the season series with the Norse.

Against NKU, Oakland suffered from yet another cold shooting start. The Golden Grizzlies shot just .238 (5-of-21) from the field in the opening quarter, but they improved their shooting percentage every quarter, eventually reaching a blazing .688 (11-of-16) ina final quarter where they outscored NKU 34 to 26 in a comeback effort that fell just short.

Despite the back-to-back losses, it isn't due to a lack of individual play. Over their previous two games, the Golden Grizzlies had five players averaging over 10 points per game in Maddy Skorupski (12), Linda Van Schaik (13.5), Brooke Quarles-Daniels (15), Markyia McCormick (11), and Kennedie Montue (12) have all played exceptionally on the offensive end as of late.

The Golden Grizzlies' attack comes in waves it always seems. McCormick is great at opening the game and setting the tone, having scored the first bucket of the game in the previous two games. Van Schaik provides consistent energy and shooting throughout the whole game, often exploding in the first half and finding her groove as the game progresses. Skorupski and Montue may be the most dangerous bench duo in the Horizon League, averaging a combined 16.5 points per game while both shooting above .310 from three-point range. Montue has a knack for burying big-time shots, whether it be to stop opposing teams from gaining momentum or to extend the Oakland lead. Quarles-Daniels serves as not only the leading-scorer and closer, but as the glue of the team, defending and rebounding at a high level, which is something rare among lead offensive players around the league, especially at the guard position.

With teams like Youngstown State and NKU picking up momentum and breathing down Oakland's neck in the standings, now is the perfect time for the Golden Grizzlies to gain momentum and create space in the standings.

Still a top three scoring team, averaging 73 points per game, Oakland has the offensive firepower to outscore opponents. They also still hold the top spot in terms of steals (12.52 spg), turnover margin (5.14), and turnovers forced (445), showing that they are elite defensively as well. For the Golden Grizzlies, it's all about putting together the many tools they have, simultaneously over a full 40 minutes.

The Golden Grizzlies and the Penguins have been even historically, with Youngstown State. Holding a three game edge as Oakland has a 12-15 record. The two teams met just over a month ago, where Oakland fell in a close game 63-70 in Youngstown, Oh. Quarles-Daniels posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while McCormick and Alexis Johnson combined for 25 points in the game. Oakland outscored the Penguins in the first and final quarters, but a third quarter where Youngstown State outscored the Golden Grizzlies 25-12 was enough to create the distance needed for a win.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS

Youngstown State has won two of their last three games, most recently beating Milwaukee 73-66 on Feb. 3. They currently sit with the same conference record as Oakland (5-8), making this game essential for a potential tie-breaker at season's end. 

The Penguins rank second in the Horizon League in blocks per game (4.04) and in opponent three point field goal percentage (.278), being experts at running their opponents off the three-point line and funneling them into a strong interior presence, anchored by Emily Saunders who averages a league-best 2.3 blocks per game.

Saunders averages a team-high 12.2 points per game, including double-digit efforts in each of her last five games. Last time out against the Golden Grizzlies, she only tallied 10 points and three rebounds.

The rematch between the deadlocked conference opponents goes down on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the OU Credit Unoin O'rena.

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Players Mentioned

Kennedie Montue

#25 Kennedie Montue

G
5' 11"
Sophomore
Brooke Quarles-Daniels

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels

PG
5' 7"
Freshman
Alexis Johnson

#23 Alexis Johnson

F
5' 10"
Junior
Markyia McCormick

#10 Markyia McCormick

G
5' 6"
Graduate Student
Maddy Skorupski

#2 Maddy Skorupski

G
5' 8"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Kennedie Montue

#25 Kennedie Montue

5' 11"
Sophomore
G
Brooke Quarles-Daniels

#5 Brooke Quarles-Daniels

5' 7"
Freshman
PG
Alexis Johnson

#23 Alexis Johnson

5' 10"
Junior
F
Markyia McCormick

#10 Markyia McCormick

5' 6"
Graduate Student
G
Maddy Skorupski

#2 Maddy Skorupski

5' 8"
Sophomore
G