MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Oakland (10-9, 6-2 HL) defeated the Milwaukee Panthers (8-11, 4-4 HL) 73-60 Thursday night inside UWM Panther Arena. Oakland maintained control throughout, building an 11-point lead by halftime and never trailing in the contest. The team capitalized on the Panthers' 13 turnovers, converting them into 19 points. Despite Milwaukee's edge in points in the paint, Oakland's balanced scoring and strong free throw shooting, converting 19 of 24 attempts, secured the victory.

"Tim McCormick [ESPNU Color Analyst] asked me during shootaround if I was going to find out a lot about my team tonight. I told him, especially after Sunday: let's find out," said head coach Greg Kampe. "We came out, Mike Houge was on fire. We had a good lead, sure we turned the ball over too many times. Gave up a few too many offensive rebounds, but we won with our defense tonight."

Fifth-year Michael Houge led the team with 19 points, converting nine of his 15 field goal attempts and adding seven rebounds. Junior Isaac Garrett contributed significantly with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while also providing four assists, as Oakland's number one point guard, senior Brody Robinson, made an impact from the free-throw line, converting 12 of 14 attempts, and recorded three steals. Fifth-year Tuburu Naivalurua was strong on the boards, collecting 10 rebounds and adding two blocks on defense for the night.

Oakland began the half with a strong start, scoring the first 9 points, led by Houge's effective driving in the paint. The team maintained pressure with fast breaks and efficient shooting, culminating in the first three-pointer of the game by Brett White II at 5:11 to extend the lead. Oakland's defense also played a crucial role, forcing turnovers and limiting the Panthers' scoring opportunities.

The Golden Grizzlies continued to build momentum, with Robinson's three-pointer at 2:00 pushing the lead further. In the closing seconds of the half, Warren Marshall IV secured an offensive rebound and made a second-chance layup to conclude the half with a big push, taking an 11 point lead into the break.

Oakland began the second half with a fast start, as Garrett scored with a layup assisted by Robinson, extending their lead. Naivalurua made key defensive contributions early with a block and continual defensive rebounding, setting the tone for Oakland's strong defensive performance through the night. Despite some turnovers, Oakland maintained their scoring advantage through points in the paint, capitalizing on Milwaukee's missed opportunities.

As the half progressed, Oakland continued to control the game, highlighted by Brett White II's three-pointer at the 6:24 mark, assisted by Garrett, which further extended their lead. The Panthers attempted to close the gap with a few layups, but Oakland's consistent scoring, particularly from the free-throw line, kept them ahead. The game concluded with Oakland leading 73–60, maintaining a solid margin over Milwaukee going into the next segment.

The Golden Grizzlies will stay on the road, to face Green Bay in a battle for second-place standings on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. ET.


How to Follow Oakland Men's Basketball: For complete information on Oakland Men's Basketball follow the team on X at @OaklandMBB and head coach Greg Kampe at @KampeOU. The team is also on Instagram and Facebook.