ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies return to the court for their first Metro Series showdown of the season, traveling to Calihan Hall to take on the Detroit Mercy Titans.

Oakland is looking to build on what was a dominant performance in its last outing, a 66-45 home win over Milwaukee. The Golden Grizzlies' defense was locked in for the full 40 minutes, holding the Panthers to just .296 (16-for-54) shooting from the field, the second-lowest field goal percentage and total makes of any Oakland opponent this season. Oakland also limited Milwaukee to just five made three-pointers (5-for-21), marking the fifth time this season the Golden Grizzlies have held an opponent to five or fewer makes from beyond the arc.

As the season has progressed, Oakland has shown the ability to thrive on the perimeter and on the defensive end. In Horizon League play, the Golden Grizzlies rank in the top five in made three-pointers per game (5.5), showing that when they get hot from deep, they are among the league's best. Oakland also ranks fifth in blocks per game (3.29) and third in turnover margin, taking care of the ball while forcing opponents into more than 15 turnovers per game.

The Golden Grizzlies have been searching for an opportunity to string together wins this season and are now in prime position to do so as they take on the last-place Titans.
Detroit Mercy (4-13, 2-6 HL) enters the weekend matchup struggling, riding a six-game losing streak after a 62-58 loss to Cleveland State on Wednesday. During the skid, the Titans have surrendered 74 or more points in five games, including 86 points in an 86-80 loss to Rochester Christian on Dec. 29.

Despite the team's struggles, Detroit Mercy has seen individual bright spots, led by team-leading scorer Jasmine Edwards, who is averaging 11.1 points per game on .536 shooting while also pulling down 7.8 rebounds per contest.

The Titans have faced their biggest challenges on the offensive end, making the second-fewest three-pointers per game (4.8) in the conference and posting the league's lowest free throw percentage (.639). Detroit Mercy also averages nearly four fewer rebounds per game than its opponents, giving an advantage to the Golden Grizzlies, who rank among the top rebounding teams in the Horizon League.

Tune in to the first rivalry matchup of 2026 on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 1 p.m. from Calihan Hall, streaming on ESPN+.