ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team rides a three-game win streak into the week as it is set to face off against Purdue Fort Wayne at home tomorrow (Jan. 22), followed by a road game Saturday (Jan. 25) against Robert Morris.

Tip-off tomorrow inside the OU Credit Union O'rena is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on ESPN+, while Saturday's game, also streamed on ESPN+, will tip-off at 2:00 p.m. ET inside UMPC Events Center.

The Golden Grizzlies (8-12, 5-4 HL) took care of business at home Wednesday (Jan. 15) against IU Indy, 72-59, followed by its 10th-straight win inside Calihan Hall Saturday (Jan. 18) against Detroit Mercy, 65-59.

In Wednesday's win, Allen Mukeba led Oakland with 20 points and nine rebounds, while DQ Cole and Buru Naivalurua each contributed 14 points, shooting a combined 14-of-16 from the floor. Oakland's offense started strong, fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Nassim Mashhour, leading to a 36-25 halftime advantage. The Golden Grizzlies dominated the boards with 16 first-half rebounds and shot .571 from the field.

In the second half, Mukeba added 11 points, while Oakland's defense held firm against IU Indy's offensive surges. Despite a brief push from IU Indy, Oakland maintained control, with Naivalurua and Cole adding critical points late in the game.

In Saturday's Metro Series win against Detroit Mercy, Oakland overcame an early deficit with a 7-0 run to take the lead, bolstered by sharp three-point shooting. By halftime, the Golden Grizzlies led 34-26, sinking six threes and out-rebounding the Titans 20-15. In the second half, Oakland maintained its lead with timely three-pointers from Woodrich and Malcolm Christie. Despite a late 12-2 rally by the Titans, cutting the lead to 63-59 with just over a minute remaining, the Golden Grizzlies held firm to secure their third consecutive win.

Mukeba leads the team with 13.5 points per game as the team averages 65.4 points per game and allows 69.2 points. Off the glass, Oakland holds the advantage, 34.9 to 34.7, as Naivalurua leads with 7.7 per game. As a team, Oakland shoots at a .413 clip from the floor with 7.0 threes made per game.

DATE: Jan. 22
OPPONENT: Purdue Fort Wayne
LOCATION: OU Credit Union O'rena - Rochester, Mich.
TIME: 7:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
TICKETS
GAME NOTES

The Mastodons (14-6, 7-2 HL) enter the game in second in the Horizon League, one game behind Cleveland State. Purdue Fort Wayne also rides a win streak, as it has won four-straight, as both of its league losses came by one point each. Eastern Michigan and Defiance are the two common non-conference teams both teams have faced during the regular season as the Mastodons won both games. Furthermore, the Mastodons are 4-5 overall when playing on the road.

Oakland holds a 17-9 record against Purdue Fort Wayne and is 6-4 in its last 10 matchups. The two teams last met in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 #HLMBB Tournament as Oakland won, 75-65, for its first win inside the OU Credit Union O'rena since 2017. At home, Oakland holds an 8-5 record.

Jalen Jackson leads the team with nearly 20.0 points per game, with 19.7, as he shoots at a .515 clip from the floor. Rasheed Bello is right behind with 15.0 points per game and is two threes behind Maximus Nelson for most threes on the team with 45. Off the glass, Eric Mulder leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game.

A high-scoring offense, the Mastodons tally 84.4 points per game and allow 74.7 points per game, shooting at a .481 clip. From range, the team hits at a .387 mark with 11.2 threes per game. Off the glass, Purdue Fort Wayne's opponents hold the edge with 6.0 more, on average, with 36.4 rebounds per game.

Tip-off from the OU Credit Union O'rena is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET.

DATE: Jan. 25
OPPONENT: Robert Morris
LOCATION: UMPC Events Center
TIME: 2:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
GAME NOTES

The Golden Grizzlies look to avenge its home loss earlier this season (Jan. 4 - L, 79-71) against the Colonials (13-7, 5-4 HL). The Colonials face Youngstown State tomorrow (Jan. 22) before Oakland and are currently on a three-game win streak and have won four of its last five.

In its last matchup, Naivalurua grabbed his fourth double-double of the season, with 18 points and 10 boards, against Robert Morris but fell despite a strong first half. Oakland started strong, building a 39-32 halftime lead with contributions from Naivalurua, Mukeba and Christie, who hit three three-pointers. However, Robert Morris mounted a second-half comeback, eventually taking the lead midway through the period. The Colonials held off Oakland's efforts to close the gap, maintaining a five-point lead in the final minutes and taking the win.

Oakland has only lost three games to Robert Morris and is 6-2 on the road. It's last road loss against the Colonials came in 2023 but came away with a 63-43 win last season in Moon Township, Pa.).

Kam Woods leads the team with 14.5 points per game, shooting at a .348 clip from the floor, as Alvaro Folgueiras is right behind with 12.9 points per game. Folgueiras averages a double-double as he paces the team with 10.1 rebounds per game.

The Colonials tally 75.2 points per game and allow 72.4 points, while shooting at a .425 clip from the floor. The team hits 6.9 threes per game at a .319 mark, as Robert Morris brings down 38.0 rebounds per game compared to its opponents 34.3.

Tip-off from UMPC Events Center is slated for 2:00 p.m. ET.

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