Rivalries are defined by iconic matchups, with both teams consistently challenging each other. A great rivalry should be balanced and emphasized heavily every single season.
For Oakland and the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), the rivalry in men’s basketball may as well be nonexistent. It’s hard to give credit to a rivalry when one school has so thoroughly dominated the other.
My point in action: the Golden Grizzlies have now won 10 consecutive games playing at Calihan Hall in Detroit, Michigan. In their last 10 matchups overall, Oakland leads eight games to two.
This pattern continued with a decisive win on the road last Saturday, Jan. 18. OU drove 40 minutes down the road into the city to take on the Titans in a crucial matchup for both teams. Oakland was looking to cap off a three-game win streak, while UDM needed to snap a three-game skid of their own. The new head coach of the Titans, Mark Montgomery, was surely looking to reset the tone of the rivalry in his first season at the helm.
Ryan Kalambay of Detroit Mercy was a huge factor early in the game. He scored eight points in the first 10 minutes of the game despite averaging only 1.9 points per game on the season. Though it was a sloppy start for the Golden Grizzlies, OU held a 14-13 lead with under 11 minutes left in the first half, thanks to much-needed threes from Jayson Woodrich and Malcolm Christie.
Christie again found the bottom of the net to gain a 19-13 lead for Oakland, but turnover problems began to abound. Whenever OU got some separation, they’d cough up the ball due to UDM’s pressure. After a Nate Johnson three for the Titans, Oakland hit back-to-back threes, courtesy of DQ Cole and Nassim Mashhour. The timely shot-making helped establish a 27-19 lead with under seven minutes to go.
Isaiah Jones got on the board with two free throws and a three-pointer, keeping the lead at eight going into the half. Going forward, a major point of emphasis was on continuing to play inside-out, feeding the ball to post players Allen Mukeba and Buru Naivalarua. Also, turnovers must be managed; with eight turnovers already in the first half, the Titans would look to pressure young guards Jaylen Jones and Mashhour in the second.
Early in the second half, Naivalarua continued an excellent game, hitting two shots at the free throw line. Mukeba also chipped in with a short jumper, ballooning the lead to 12 points. However, Oakland’s zone defense appeared lost for a while as the Titans got loose for a couple of open jumpers, sinking two threes in quick succession. At the under-16 timeout, the lead had dwindled to just five.
But Woodrich and Christie were there again to pick the Golden Grizzlies up. They hit back-to-back three balls, resecuring a sizable lead. Fouls began to rear their ugly head early in the half, putting Detroit Mercy in the bonus for more than half of the second period.
Despite Mercy getting to the line and hitting their free throws, Mukeba kept the Grizzlies ahead with several impressive layups inside. Eventually, Mashhour and Woodrich got free again to nail a three each. Naivalarua and Mukeba were credited for assists, highlighting the team’s ability to play from the paint to the perimeter. With five minutes left in the game, Oakland was up 61-47.
UDM had one more push in them. They tightened down the screws on defense and made OU work for every last minute. After two midrange jumpers from Grant Gondrezick II and Orlando Lovejoy, TJ Nadeau and Johnson hit threes for the Titans, bringing the game within only 4 points with just over a minute to go.
With their backs against the wall, Oakland relied on Mukeba at the free throw line, who calmly hit two free throws to ease the pressure. The Golden Grizzlies held on to secure a 65-59 win.
It was an all-around team win, as eight players scored five or more points. Naivalarua led the way with 13 points and 11 rebounds, along with three assists, two steals and two blocks. The most encouraging sign was the team’s ability to close out a tight game, along with Woodrich finding his stroke from deep.
Next up for OU is a highly anticipated matchup against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The Mastodons are one of the premier teams in the Horizon League this season, sitting second in the Horizon League standings.
