Despite the absence of Oakland head coach Greg Kampe this past Thursday, the Oakland men’s basketball team cruised past the Green Bay Phoenix, 68-54, after a strong second half inside the OU Credit Union O’Rena.
Kampe, who was suspended one game on Jan. 28 following his reaction to a late-game foul call on DQ Cole that led to a loss to the Robert Morris Colonials, had associate head coach Jeff Smith fill in as acting head coach.
“It’s been a really difficult week,” Smith said. “A lot has been going on, a lot of distractions, and this was a tough situation, and I think our guys handled it unbelievably well. Other members of our coaching staff did a fantastic job over the last three days of just locking in and concentrating on nothing but preparing our team to win the game tonight.”
For the Golden Grizzlies, Cole led the team in scoring with 18 points while delivering a team-high three assists. Allen Mukeba was also instrumental in the win with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Buru Naivalurua notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 boards.
On the other side of the court, Foster Wonders led the Phoenix in scoring with 16 points off of the bench. In addition to Wonders, Mac Wrecke had a solid showing, putting up seven points while grabbing a team-best six rebounds.
The first half started slow for the Golden Grizzlies, who struggled on offense early against Green Bay, who lead the Horizon League in points allowed per game.
Oakland’s largest lead of the first came with eight minutes left in the half. Following a miss from Jayson Woodrich, Naivalurua collected the rebound mid-air before throwing down a monstrous dunk for a four-point lead.
In the final minute of the first, Cole converted a deep three to give the Golden Grizzlies a two-point lead. With one final possession before the half, Green Bay’s Yontan Levy knocked down a jumper at the buzzer, leaving the game tied 29-29 heading into the break.
At the start of the second half, a refreshed Golden Grizzlies team took the court and quickly jumped ahead of the Phoenix.
“Everybody was a little amped up, coaches and players when the game started,” Smith said. “Like everything, you settle into it, and once it starts, you just do your job.”
In the blink of an eye, Oakland had dialed in on both sides of the court, mounting a 22-4 run in the first eight minutes of the half. Malcolm Christie and Nassim Mashour were both pivotal during the run, with Christie draining a pair of threes while Mashour sank one of his own.
Due to the Oakland run, Green Bay was forced to play catchup throughout the rest of the second. With their backs against the wall, the Phoenix managed to cut the Golden Grizzlies’ lead to single digits at one point.
However, Oakland’s authoritative start to the second was just too much for Green Bay, granting the Golden Grizzlies their seventh conference win of the season.
From the box score, rebounding was the difference maker for the Golden Grizzlies. Oakland outrebounded Green Bay 46-22, grabbing an impressive 18 offensive rebounds in the process. Notably, 46 rebounds are the most Oakland has secured this season against a conference opponent.
Next, the Golden Grizzlies will host the Youngstown State Penguins on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the OU Credit Union O’Rena. After losing to the Penguins 66-50 earlier in the season, splitting the series will be important for Oakland to accomplish at this stage of the regular season.
