ROCHESTER, Mich. — Oakland kicked off their season with an exhibition win over Davenport University, earning a 71-64 win.
The game opened with a fast-paced exchange, as Oakland and Davenport traded leads five times in the first quarter.
Makenzie Luehring quickly responded for Oakland, contributing multiple layups and free throws to push her team ahead as she scored 10 points (4-for-5 FG) in the opening frame.
Angie Smith's defensive prowess shined with two steals leading to fast-break points. Oakland was aggressive getting to the line, going 6-for-8 from the charity stripe to take a 13-12 lead after the first ten minutes.
The Panthers struck back to start the second quarter, going on a 7-0 run early in the quarter. Oakland would regain control, halting the run with back-to-back threes from
Jazzy Dupree-Hebert and
Layla Gold to tie the game at 29 apiece. The Golden Grizzlies kept their foot on the gas, sparking a 10-1 run to close the half and forcing Davenport to miss their final 10 field goals of the half as Oakland maintained a 39-32 lead.
Luerhing led all scorers with 13 first half points (5-of-6 FG), while Gold notched nine points (2-for-3 FG, 4-for-4 FT) and six rebounds (4 orebs) in the half. Oakland also held their large advantage at the free throw line, going 13-for-17 compared to just 2-for-5 from the stripe for the Panthers.
Davenport would start the second half similarly to how they started the second quarter, opening up an 8-0 run to cut the Oakland lead down to just one point with the score now 41-40, but Oakland's
Karinna Trotter would score a crucial and-one, followed by the second triple of the night from Dupree-Hebert as Oakland stretched the lead back out to nine points with a score of 49-40 with 4:11 left in the quarter.
A 10-0 run, capitalized by a
Lianna Baxter score, gave Oakland their largest lead of the game at 53-40 with 2:52 remaining in the third. Oakland would hit five of their last seven shots, going 7-of-15 from the floor in the quarter as they led 55-46 going into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, Oakland maintained a lead despite Davenport's strong start, fueled by a layup from Pehi-Kupa at 8:05, bringing the score to 57-48. Luehring responded with a layup at 3:41, extending the lead to 63-54. Oakland would keep the Panthers at an arm's distance, holding them off to earn a 71-64 win in their season-opening exhibition.
Luehring led all players with 17 points (6-for-10 FG) to go along with a pair of steals and four assists. Gold nearly tallied a double-double with nine points (4-for-4 FT), nine rebounds, and a block. Smith also added 11 points (4-for-8 FG), three steals, and three rebounds.
Filippa Goula filled up the box score as well with eight points (5-for-6 FT), five rebounds, and four assists.
The Golden Grizzlies officially kick off their season on Monday, Nov. 3 with a home-opener against Cleary University.
