Bader scores 34 to lift Golden Grizzlies

Travis Bader lit up Defiance College (7-1) with 34 points to go over 2,000 points in his career as Oakland University (5-10) won 87-66 on Friday night, their last game until the new year.

“I think it reflects on Oakland University,” Bader said. “You know the players that I’ve played with, the coaches that I’ve had, you know it really goes out to them. You know those are the guys that are sacrificing their bodies to set me screens to get me open and finding me in transition and different places in the offense.”

Bader was 7-of-10 from 3-point range and leads the nation in 3-pointers at 4.6 per game.

OU’s Corey Petros also shot well, scoring 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Tommie McCune added 10 points. Golden Grizzly point guard Kahlil Felder posted 10 assists.

Defiance got balanced scoring from three scorers but not much elsewhere. Bernard Edwards finished with 17 points, and Ryan Hicks had 15. Mason Roth added 12 points. 

The Grizzlies handed Defiance their first loss of the season in what has been their best start in 40 years. The Yellow Jackets, who compete in Division III, last played a Division I opponent in 2006 when they lost 81-42 at Oakland.

Oakland rode a 44-29 lead into halftime and eventually, the win. The Grizzlies outshot Defiance 55.6 to 37.3 percent.

The Grizzlies have rebounded from a season-starting seven-game losing streak that included four ranked opponents to go 5-3 in their last eight.

The Grizzlies visit Wright State Jan. 2, 2014 at 7 p.m.