“This was a game we would have lost a month ago,” Greg Kampe said to open his press conference
He’s probably right. A back-and-forth affair saw a game coming down to the wire, something that Oakland experienced plenty of earlier in the season. Countless games where Oakland had a late lead that were lost had added up, and many wondered if it was a problem that could be rectified.
“A couple?” Kampe joked when asked how the team has grown after losing a couple of games where they let a lead slip.
Kampe harped on one aspect that has helped Oakland finish the job recently. Free throws.
“Their understanding of how important free throws are, we made four huge free throws late, and if we miss, we lose the game. These two next to me (Allen Mukeba and Buru Naivalurua) have been working their tails off at it, shooting free throw after free throw.”
Mukeba and Naivalurua made their impact on much more than just the free throw line. They each poured in 22 points and were monsters inside. Mukeba added 11 rebounds and three assists on 10-16 shooting, while Naivalurua had eight rebounds and four assists on 10-12 shooting. They continue to cement themselves in the conversation of best players in the Horizon League.
With the game hanging in the balance late, Mukeba and Naivalurua scored every basket in the last 6:30 of game time.
Two free throws by Jaylen Jones were the only non bigman points in that stretch, and they were huge. Jones sank both free throws with 17 seconds left to extend the lead to two possessions. Jones was a factor in this one, scoring 12 points and posting team highs in assists (4) and steals (3). He controlled the game late.
Isaiah Jones played 30 minutes, his season high in regulation as he continues to get healthier and healthier. He stuffed the box score as usual. Four points, six boards, three assists and three steals were his final tallies. Malcolm Christie made a big early impact, hitting three threes in the first half, before Kampe decided they needed to go defense late.
“Malcolm accepted that,” Kampe said. “And that is when you win, when you have guys accepting their role.”
Nassim Mashhour was someone who starred in his role. He only made one of his five threes but was a pest defensively. He played crucial late minutes, and his pressure and big plays on that end were huge. The highlight was a late wall up in the final minute of the game, that gave Oakland a massive stop.
For Oakland, this was their fourth win in a row, and it pushed them to 6-4 in the conference, 9-12 overall. Purdue Fort Wayne will undoubtedly be towards the top of the standings all season, so this win was a huge one to get.
Another team on a four-game win streak awaits, as the Golden Grizzlies travel to Robert Morris on Saturday. RMU is sitting at 14-7, and 6-4 in the league. Oakland fell at home to Robert Morris a few weeks ago.
The game is slated to tip off at 2pm Eastern Time, with the broadcast on ESPN+.
