ROCHESTER, Mich. - The quest for a second-straight #HLMBB Championship continues as the No. 6 seed Golden Grizzlies head to the No. 3 seed Milwaukee tomorrow (March 6), in the quarterfinal round, at the Klotsche Center, with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Golden Grizzlies (15-17, 11-9 HL) took care of business against No. 11 seed Green Bay in the First Round of the #HLMBB Championship, 96-72.
Jayson Woodrich set a league record by playing in his 159th career game.
Allen Mukeba and
Isaiah Jones led the Golden Grizzlies with 15 points each, while Mukeba also recorded 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.
Oakland started strong, quickly building a double-digit lead in the first half behind key three-pointers from
Malcolm Christie and Jones.
Buru Naivalurua provided an offensive spark off the bench, helping Oakland maintain control. Despite some offensive success from Green Bay late in the half, the Golden Grizzlies entered the break up 47-34.
In the second half, Oakland stayed aggressive, scoring efficiently in the paint through Mukeba and
DQ Cole. Midway through the half, a three-pointer from Cole sparked a 9-2 run that pushed the lead to 19 points, effectively sealing the game. Oakland finished the night shooting .493 from the field and .444 from three-point range, while also outrebounding Green Bay 42-41.
Mukeb leads the Golden Grizzlies with 14.3 points per game, and paces the team off the glass with 7.7 rebounds per game. Right below him is Naivalurua who averages 13.7 points per game to go along with 7.2 rebounds per game. Christie leads from three-point land with 68 makes, one more than Cole.
The team narrowly gets outscored, 71.7-70.4, as Oakland shoots at a .433 clip with 7.5 threes made per game. Off the glass, the Golden Grizzlies outrebound its opponents by an average of 1.5 as it comes down with 35.7 per game.
DATE: Thursday, March 6
OPPONENT: #3 Milwaukee
LOCATION: Klotsche Center - Milwaukee, Wis.
TIME: 8:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
GAME NOTES
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
BRACKET
The Golden Grizzlies split its season series against the Panthers (21-10) as Oakland won at home, 65-49, while the Panthers won on its home court, 71-66. Oakland held the Panthers to its lowest total this season after its home win. Overall, the Golden Grizzlies are 6-8 on the road against the Panthers.
The Golden Grizzlies are 4-6 in the #HLMBB Championships quarterfinal round and 0-2 as a six-seed. This marks just the second time the two teams have met, with its first meeting coming last year in the championship game as Oakland came away with the win, 83-76. In the title win,
DQ Cole and
Buru Naivalurua saw the floor as Cole added four points to the teams total.
The Panthers have won the Horizon League title four times, with its last one in 2014 to go along with its 2003, 2005 and 2006 wins.
The Panthers are led by Themus Fulks, a #HLMBB Second Team honoree, as he paces the team with 14.4 points per game. Under him is #HLMBB Newcomer of the Year and First Team honoree Jamichael Stillwell who averages a double-double on the season, with 12.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Four of Milwaukee's starting five players record double-digit points as the team has five players in total in the double-digits.
As a team, the Panthers score 78.9 points per game, shooting at a .466 clip from the floor, and allow 71.7 points off .445 shooting from the field. The Panthers bring down 39.7 rebounds per game, 9.9 more than its opponents, as it allows 7.5 threes per game compared to its 5.9.
Tip-off from the Klotsche Center is slated for 8:00 p.m. ET.
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