The Oakland Golden Grizzlies women’s basketball team saw its final home game slip away on Wednesday night, falling 84-59 to the Northern Kentucky Norse inside the OU Credit Union O’Rena.
Looking at the standings, the Golden Grizzlies stay at their original spot heading into this game at eighth place. As far as seeding goes, moving up or down the standings only changes Oakland’s opponent in the first round of the Horizon League tournament; no matter the outcome, they will play the first round on the road.
Makenzie Luehring led the Golden Grizzlies in scoring, putting up 20 points while also dishing out a team-high seven assists. Filippa Goula had a solid outing as well, finishing with 11 points and four rebounds.
For the Norse, Karina Bystry led the charge with 21 points and four rebounds. Maddie Moody was another player instrumental in Northern Kentucky’s win, nearly recording a double-double with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Luehring got the offense started for the black and gold, converting at the rim on the fastbreak. Mya Meredith followed with a layup of her own before Bystry sank a jumper in the paint to give Northern Kentucky the early advantage.
In the rest of the frame, the Golden Grizzlies struggled to get consistent on offense. An aggressive Norse defense forced multiple turnovers and held Oakland scoreless from three in the quarter. Heading into the second quarter, Northern Kentucky led, 22-14.
The Norse’s defense continued to cause the Golden Grizzlies problems into the second quarter. Through the first five minutes of play, the only form of Oakland offense came from a trip to the charity stripe for Luehring; the Golden Grizzlies were held scoreless otherwise.
Oakland’s first made field goal of the second came with just three minutes remaining in the quarter, as Luehring found Goula wide open in the corner for a three. Offensively, the Norse stayed efficient, growing their lead to a daunting 43-21 heading into the break.
At halftime, the Golden Grizzlies shot at a 25.8% (8-for-31) rate from the field while Northern Kentucky converted 56.7% (17-for-30) of their looks. From three-point range, Oakland made just 9.1% (1-for-11) of their attempts, and the Norse shot at a 50% (6-for-12) clip.
Through the start of the third quarter, the Golden Grizzlies kept pace with the Norse. However, with Northern Kentucky’s extensive lead, keeping up was not enough. Oakland would need to go on multiple runs to get back in the game.
In the quarter’s waning moments, Luehring knocked down a deep three before making both her looks at the free-throw line, making it a 56-37 game heading into the final quarter.
With the Norse still in control through the fourth quarter, the large lead they built at the start of the match proved too large for Oakland to overcome. As the final buzzer sounded, Northern Kentucky came away as victors.
Up next, the Golden Grizzlies will conclude their regular season on the road against the Cleveland State Vikings on Saturday, February 28. With a tip-off set for 2 pm, Oakland will look to snag a win to gain some momentum before the start of the Horizon League tournament.
Takeaways
This game served as more than just a home game finale for the Golden Grizzlies, as there are a couple of narratives to explore.
With how the standings look, the Norse could very well be Oakland’s opponent in the first round of the Horizon League playoffs, giving an early look into what we could expect from these two teams come the postseason.
Additionally, this was the battle between two Horizon League Freshman of the Year candidates in Luehring and Bystry. If this game provided any information on how this race will go, it’ll be close, as both freshmen have played at a high level down the stretch.
Defensively, the Norse played at an elite level. It seemed they were always one step ahead on defense, and their rotations were nearly perfect, not only generating turnovers but also forcing the Golden Grizzlies to take some last-second shots at the buzzer.
From deep, Oakland shot at its worst tally this season, dating back to the beginning of January in a road game against Youngstown State.
As the Golden Grizzlies now turn their attention to the regular season finale, the question becomes whether this loss becomes a warning sign or fuel for the postseason.
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