ROCHESTER, Mich. — Closing on an 8-0 run over the final 3:20, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies (1-5, 0-0 HL) defeated Northern Iowa (2-3, 0-0 MVC), 80-76, Saturday night on the Blacktop at the OU Credit Union O'rena. Oakland finished with 20 offensive rebounds and a 22-8 advantage in second-chance points. It also scored 26 points off 18 Panthers turnovers, added 38 points in the paint and got 29 points from its bench.
"I think that was a hell of a basketball game," said head coach
Greg Kampe. "I think we won because of the crowd -- I really do. They willed us to win; I can't tell you how pleased I am. If you look at Northern Iowa nationally, they are known to be a physical team. Our kids stood up and took it."
Senior
Chris Fields Jr. finished with 22 points, a season-high 16 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Junior
Nassim Mashhour scored 20 points with four three-pointers and added three assists as sophomore
Ryder Bradley posted 12 points and three steals. Sophomore
Hamoudy Mashhour added 10 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer. and going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line.
Oakland answered a 21-15 deficit with a 12-0 run from 13:11 to 10:00, getting free throws from H. Mashhour and Bradley before senior
William Kassi, Fields Jr. and sophomore
Camden Thompson finished baskets to put Oakland ahead 27-21. Earlier, Oakland started through Fields Jr. and
Nassim Mashhour, with Fields scoring the first basket, blocking a layup and grabbing the rebound, and N. Mashhour adding seven early points. The Panthers stayed close behind eight first-half three-pointers, but Oakland did much of its work inside, scoring 28 points in the paint and shooting 17-for-29 from the field. Oakland also converted 10 of 11 free throws, got a late putback from Fields Jr. with 49 seconds left and took a 46-42 lead into halftime.
Oakland closed the second half with an 8-0 run, tying the game on N. Mashhour's three-pointer at 2:41, moving ahead on H. Mashhour's three-pointer with 17 seconds left and adding an N. Mashhour free throw with one second remaining to finish off an 80-76 win. Earlier, Oakland created extra chances with 14 offensive rebounds and six steals in the half, including a Fields Jr. steal that led to his fast-break layup for a 55-48 lead. The Panthers moved in front 60-58 before Fields made a free throw and Thompson followed with a tip-in at 10:08 to put Oakland back ahead 61-60. After the Panthers later built a 76-72 lead, Oakland held them scoreless the rest of the way while Fields Jr., and both Mashhour brothers accounted for the closing points.
Back on the road, Oakland travels to Tempe, Ariz., to face Arizona State on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 9 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.
