By Pete Ross
1 9 2-25
GAME NOTES
https://goldengrizzlies.com/documents/2025/1/8/0109_vs._WSU.pdf
LISTEN TO WRIGHT STATE GAME
WATCH WRIGHT STATE GAME
https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/35fb7aab-c815-43eb-ae29-af51e20ac69a
WATCH NKU GAME
https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/521bc159-8d77-4876-8e7e-d23f7b7caa6f
ROCHESTER, Mich. – Horizon League play rolls on for the Golden Grizzlies men’s basketball team as it heads on the road to face Wright State (Thursday) and Northern Kentucky (Saturday), with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. ET and 6:00 p.m. ET, respectively.
The Golden Grizzlies (5-11, 2-3 HL) split its pair of Horizon League meetings at home last week, taking down Milwaukee (Jan. 2), 65-49, but falling to Robert Morris (Jan. 4), 79-71. Prior to its pair of game, the Golden Grizzlies fell to nationally-ranked Arkansas on the road, 92-62.
Against the Razorbacks, the Golden Grizzlies, led by a career-high 18 points from Buru Naivalurua, went into the break down by a trio of points, but an Arkansas 20-4 run in the last few minutes of play capped off the game.
Oakland followed it back up with a win against Milwaukee as the Golden Grizzlies held Milwaukee to its lowest point total in 91 games and the lowest in head coach Bart Lundy’s tenure. Oakland’s aggressive play in the paint and consistent defense built a 33-23 halftime lead. Strong second-half performances from players like Jaylen Jones and Malcolm Christie secured the team’s second conference victory, snapping Milwaukee’s unbeaten league streak.
Naivalurua grabbed his fourth double-double of the season, with 18 points and 10 boards, against Robert Morris but fell despite a strong first half. Oakland started strong, building a 39-32 halftime lead with contributions from Naivalurua, Allen Mukeba and Christie, who hit three three-pointers. However, Robert Morris mounted a second-half comeback, eventually taking the lead midway through the period. The Colonials held off Oakland’s efforts to close the gap, maintaining a five-point lead in the final minutes and taking the win.
Mukeba leads the scoring for Oakland with 13.5 points per game to go along with the teams 65.1 points per game while giving up 71.6 points per game. Naivalurua leads off the glass with 7.7 boards per game, as the team averages 34.4 rebounds per game. The Golden Grizzlies hit at a .408 clip from the field with 6.7 threes per game and allows 8.1 threes a game with a .448 mark from the floor.
DATE: Thursday, Jan. 9
OPPONENT: Wright State
LOCATION: Dayton, Ohio
TIME: 7:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
GAME NOTES
The Golden Grizzlies got the best of the Raiders (8-8, 2-3 HL) in its first league game of the season back in December as it won, 66-64, inside the OU Credit Union O’rena. Mukeba stuffed the stat sheet with a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds. Naivalurua played the perfect frontcourt partner to Mukeba with his 14 points and seven rebounds. Off the bench, J. Jones was a presence, finishing the game with a steal while leading the team with nine rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies led 37-34 at halftime, backed by their strong presence in the paint and ability to convert on second-chance opportunities. In the second half, the game came down to the wire before Mukeba hit a go-ahead layup to secure the win. At the end of the game, Oakland outrebounded Wright State 35-29 and shot .426 as a team, securing a meaningful win on the season.
Oakland has won the last two games inside Nutter Center but are 4-9 all time in its 28 game history.
The Raiders are led by Brandon Noel who averages 19.3 points per game and shoots at a .557 clip, as he’s one of three players to have started in all 16 games. A total of four Raiders are in the double-digits for scoring as Noel leads off the glass with 7.7 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Raiders score 76.2 points per game off a .496 clip from the floor and give up 72.1 points per game off a .450 mark from the field. The team sinks 8.3 threes per game compared to its opponents 7.4 and come down with .7 more rebounds than its opponents with 33.9 per game.
Tip-off from Nutter Center is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET.
DATE: Saturday, Jan. 11
OPPONENT: Northern Kentucky
LOCATION: Highland Heights, Ky.
TIME: 6:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
The Norse enter the week 9-7 and are 4-1 in Horizon League play. Its sole loss came in triple overtime to Robert Morris, 97-93,as the team has taken down IU Indy, Detroit Mercy, Purdue Fort Wayne and Green Bay. At home this season, the Norse are 8-2 as it dropped its first pair of home games of the season, the first against Nicholls, 61-59, followed by a 16-point loss against nationally ranked Cincinnati.
The Golden Grizzlies hold an 11-13 record against the Norse and are 3-7 in its last 10 meetings. Oakland fell on the road to the Norse in its previous meeting last season, 99-89, in overtime, but the Golden Grizzlies hold a winning record at Nutter Center, at 6-5.
No player has started all 16 games this season while a trio of Norse are in the double-digits in points with Trey Robinson leading the team with 16.1 points per game. Robinson hits at a .533 clip from the floor and brings down 6.3 rebounds per game, also a team-high.
The team averages 71.6 points per game and allows 69.6 as the team hits at a .431 clip from the floor but allows a mark at .433. From range, the Norse allow 8.8 threes per game and hit 8.1 per game, as the team brings down 36.9 rebounds per game, 2.6 more than its opponents.
Tip-off from Truist Arena is slated for 6:00 p.m. ET.
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