ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland defeated Rochester Christian 97-48 on Sunday, using a big defensive effort, scoring 26 points off 22 Rochester Christian turnovers, and a big 47 points from the bench to secure the win.
It was a well-rounded performance from Oakland, who drained a season-high 10 three-pointers and recorded at least four blocks in the third consecutive game to start the season.
Ella Riggs opened Oakland's scoring with a triple, and
Makenzie Luehring added two free throws, a steal-and-layup sequence and a 3-pointer to help Oakland build a 10-2 lead. Rochester Christian worked back within 14-10, but
Alessia Reale answered with a layup, added six late free throws and grabbed two defensive rebounds during Oakland's closing stretch, closing an 11-0 run by the Golden Grizzlies to close the quarter. Oakland forced seven turnovers, recorded five steals and went 10-for-10 at the foul line in the frame to take a 25-10 lead.
Defense and balanced scoring helped Oakland take the second quarter 21-11, holding Rochester Christian to 3-for-10 shooting while forcing six turnovers.
Berlynn Carlson started the second with a steal, leading to a
Karinna Trotter's layup at 9:12, and after
Layla Gold blocked a Rochester Christian attempt, Riggs hit her second 3-pointer to balloon the lead to a 32-13 score.
Oakland continued to get contributions across the lineup, with Luehring adding a steal and layup,
Milagros Morell scoring inside and
Samone Andrews nailing a triple. The Golden grizzlies continued to dominate, taking a 46-21 advantage into halftime.
After 20 minutes of play, Oakland shot 14-for-28 (.500) from the field, while holding RCU to just 8-for-26 shooting. Contributions at the free throw line (13-for-15 FT) and 16 points off 18 RCU turnovers helped the Golden Grizzlies grow their lead.
In the third quarter, Oakland outscored Rochester Christian 30-15, shooting 11-for-15 from the field, going 6-for-6 at the line and holding a 10-4 rebounding edge.
After Rochester Christian made it 48-26 early, Oakland rebuilt with
Angie Smith scoring off an offensive rebound,
Karinna Trotter adding another second-chance layup and Luehring hitting a 3-pointer off an assist from Smith.
Oakland closed with another 8-0 run, with Bonner scored twice during the closing stretch, Reale adding a layup, and Gold nailing two free throws as Oakland entered the fourth quarter ahead 76-36.
Oakland closed out a 97-48 win by forcing six turnovers and recording five steals in the final frame.
Another 8-0 Oakland run sealed the deal as Bonner scored twice, Smith added a fast-break layup off her steal and
Sereniti Roberts-Adams finished a layup.
Berlynn Carlson and
Sheridan Beal followed with 3-pointers, and Bonner added another putback layup after an offensive rebound to push Oakland to a 97-48 victory.
Luehring scored 22 points (6-of-10 FG, 8-for-8 FT)) with  three assists and two steals, notching her second consecutive 20-point scoring performance. Reale finished with 15 points (4-for-7 FG, 6-for-6 FT). Bonner recorded a season-high 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals, while Andrews also poured in 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting.
Up next, Oakland's basketball team travels to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State University on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6:30 p.m.
