It is a rare occurrence for Oakland to win back-to-back conference games by more than 20 points, but after a 97-74 win over Cleveland State on Friday night, it had done just that.
How rare exactly? It’s just the second time the Golden Grizzlies have done it since joining the Horizon League in 2013. The other time was in 2024.
Oakland started the game down 5-0, and did not seem to have its “A game” offensively. Point blank shots at the rim were a tad off, threes were going in and out, and the only consistent points were coming from the free-throw line in the early portion of the game.
However, even through the misses, Oakland started to build the lead, thanks to 19 first half offensive rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies finished the game with 24 boards.
Oakland’s main offensive engine was Ziare Wells. He finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes. His baskets included an array of highlight finishes in transition.
“They have some smaller guys and no real shot blocker,” Wells said. “They had their backs turned in transition for a long time, so I knew I could take advantage of that if I ran.”
When asked if Wells feeds off of a good crowd, like the Grizz Gang provided on Friday, he said yes with a wry smile.
Behind Wells was Michael Houge, who after a slow start, got to a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Houge was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
“When I was getting recruited, [Greg] Kampe said ‘He doesn’t recruit bigs that can’t make free throws.’ That’s been one of my biggest individual goals,” Houge said. “We shoot free throws every day after practice witch coach Trey [McDonald].”
Oakland had two more double-doubles to report as well. Isaac Garrett went 2-of-2 from three en route to 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Brody Robinson scored 13 points while dishing out 10 assists as well.
Tuburu Naivalurua also added 12 points and eight rebounds. Brett White also finished with 12 points, as six Golden Grizzlies finished with 12 or more points.
The win moved Oakland above .500 for the first time this season, as the team now sits at 9-8 overall and 5-1 in Horizon League play.
The Golden Grizzlies are tied atop the league standings with Wright State, who happens to be their next opponent. The Raiders beat Oakland 88-73 in their first meeting about two weeks ago. Wright State’s leading scorer, Michael Cooper, hasn’t played since the game against Oakland. Sunday’s game is slated to start at 3pm Eastern Time on ESPN+.
Editor’s Note: There was some confusion with the final score. Cleveland State’s total was originally 74, but changed to 72. After further review, the official score remained at 74.
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