ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team will look to advance to its first Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship Game since 2021 as it squares off against the Cleveland State Vikings Monday inside the Indiana Farmers Coliseum on ESPNU, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (21-11, 15-5 HL) survived a late surge by the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons in its quarterfinal matchup at home and took care of business, 75-65. The teams traded points in the opening minutes before the Golden Grizzlies started to pull away and lock down on defense. The team's lead grew to as much as 14, its largest lead of the half, as the Mastodons eased the deficit after the first 20 as the Golden Grizzlies were up, 38-27.
 
Oakland remained ahead in the second half as it held on to a 20+ point lead and found itself ahead by 23. The Mastodons, however, came storming back with six minutes to go as it found itself back in the game as it cut the 23-point deficit down to six with :57 seconds to go. Blake Lampman, followed by Rocket Watts, put the game on ice as they tacked on a pair of free throws each to get back ahead by double digits as Oakland held on, 75-65.
 
HORIZON LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The Golden Grizzlies look for its first semifinal win in the Horizon League Tournament since 2021 as it beat Northern Kentucky (March 8, 2021), 69-58. Oakland has only made it to the championship game once (2021) as it fell to Cleveland State. The Golden Grizzlies were the only home team and only favorite to win its quarterfinal game Thursday (March 7). Along with no. 7 Cleveland State and no. 1 Oakland, no. 5 Northern Kentucky and no. 6 Milwaukee advanced to the semifinal round.
 
ALL-LEAGUE
Trey Townsend, Jack Gohlke and Blake Lampman all earned All-League honors as Townsend became the fourth Oakland player to earn Horizon League Player of the Year since joining the Horizon League. He joins the list of Jamal Cain, Kendrick Nunn and Kay Felder, all of which have played in the NBA, as Cain last won in 2022. Townsend also earned a First Team All-League nod. Gohlke became the second Golden Grizzly to earn Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year as Max Hooper earned the award in 2016, the same year Felder earned Player of the Year. To round it out, Lampman was named to the second team for the first time of his career.
 
EIGHTEEN YEARS AND COUNTING
Trey Townsend, who earned First Team All-League, became the 18th Golden Grizzly in-a-row to receive first team honors as only Gonzaga has a longer streak.
 
RECORD WATCH
Jack Gohlke ranks t-seventh in the Golden Grizzlies single season record book for most three-point field goals made with 109, as Travis Bader (2013-14) leads with 147. Also in seventh with 109 is Jaevin Cumberland (2018-19) and Erik Kangas (2006-07). Reggie Hamilton (2011-12) is ahead of the three with 118. He also sits fifth in three-point field goals per game with 3.4 and fifth in three-point field goal attempts with 301, as Travis Bader (2011-12) is ahead of him with 314.
 
Graduate student Blake Lampman set the all-time school record against Detroit Mercy on March 2 for most games played in a Golden Grizzlies uniform with 138 and currently has 139. He's also in the fifth spot career wise in three-point field goals made with 273, as Brad Buddenborg (1998-02) is ahead in fourth with 286, while Lampman is fourth in attempts with 818, as Jason Rozycki (1998-02) is ahead with 819 attempts.
 
Trey Townsend has played and started in 125 games to date, which puts him third in the Oakland record book for most games started and is fourth overall in the books in minutes played with 4,339. In games started, Keith Benson (2007-11) is ahead of him in second with 126, while Corey Petros (2011-15) is in third in minutes played with 4516. The senior also finds himself seventh overall in offensive rebounds (272, Jalen Hayes (2013-18) is sixth with 280), fourth in defensive rebounds (573, Corey Petros (2011-15) in third with 664) and eighth in total rebounds (845, Derrick Nelson (2005-08, '09-10) in seventh with 849). He's also eighth in career double-doubles with 18, one behind John Henderson (1985-89) who has 19.
 
1K Club
The Golden Grizzlies have four players with 1000 career NCAA points (Townsend - 1653, Gohlke - 1127, Watts - 1017, Lampman - 1003) which is t-6th in the NCAA for most active 1000-point scorers on the same team. St. John's (NY) leads with six, as Auburn, James Madison, TCU and Villanova have five. Watts and Lampman recorded their 1000th career-point in the same game.
 
DQ Cole amassed 1145 points in his career prior to joining the Golden Grizzlies, with Schoolcraft Community College and Henry Ford College, that both compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association level. Although NJCAA points don't count towards NCAA career point totals, Cole is nearing the 1500-point club as he currently sits with 1418.
 
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
The Golden Grizzlies split its regular season series against the Vikings (20-13, 11-9 HL) as it dropped its initial meeting on the road (Dec. 28), 75-67, but bounced back at home (Feb. 3), 83-71. In its win, Lampman tied his career-high in points (26) as he led all players, while Townsend shot 8-of-12 from the field for 18 points and nine rebounds.
 
Monday's meeting marks the fourth time Oakland faces off against the Vikings in the league tournament, and first semifinal matchup between the two since 2018 as no. 4 Oakland fell to no. 8 Cleveland State, 44-43. Oakland last played the Vikings in the 2021 Horizon League Tournament as the team fell, 80-69, in the championship game. Townsend, Lampman and Chris Conway all saw floor time in the loss, as Townsend led the three with four points. The Golden Grizzlies only win against the Vikings came in 2020 in the first round in the no. 6 vs. no. 7 game, as the higher-seeded Golden Grizzlies won, 80-59.
 
The Vikings are led by senior Tristan Enaruna who tacks on 20.0 points per game and shoots at a .504 clip from the floor. Tae Williams and Drew Lowder are the other two Vikings who average in the double digits for points with 12.6 and 11.6, respectively. Enaruna also leads the team off the glass as he brings down 6.5 boards per game.
 
Cleveland State narrowly outscores its opponents, 76.4-75.1, as the team shoots at a .452 clip from the floor and a .340 clip from range with 6.6 threes made per game. Off the glass, the Vikings get beat out on the boards at a -1.3 margin as it brings down 35.0 rebounds per game.
 
Tip-off for the semifinal game from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum is slated for 7:00 PM ET Monday, March. 11, and will be streamed live on ESPNU and Audacy.
 
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