The Mastodons had a strong second half that resulted in the Grizzlies coming up short, 79-59, at Gates Sports Center on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Oakland had the opening possession from the tip, but a quick turnover allowed Purdue Fort Wayne to strike first, getting its first points. Brooke Quarles-Daniels, though, swiftly initiated a 6-0 run.
The Golden Grizzlies were showing that they are at their best when they are able to score in transition, with Alexis Johnson also making a significant contribution. The Mastodons managed to tie the score at 6-6, engaging in the back-and-forth battle.
Eventually, Purdue Fort Wayne saw that their offense was clicking more and began to attack the rim and were finishing through contact as they had the three-point edge, 19-16 to close out the first quarter.
Oakland freshman Jasmine Dupree-Hebert opened the second quarter by burying a 3-pointer that leveled the score at 19. Both teams traded fouls in the early stages of the quarter, and with less than five minutes remaining, defensive intensity picked up that led to a struggle for both teams to convert on shots.
Oakland utilized a full-court press and offensively, used free throw shooting to its advantage, which helped it stay in the game despite Purdue Fort Wayne’s strong efforts. Even though the Grizzlies had 11 turnovers, they still were within reach and trailed going into intermission by just two points, 35-33.
At the half, Oakland demonstrated a solid shooting performance at 40.6% from the field. In contrast, Purdue Fort Wayne held a slightly higher field goal percentage at 43.3%.
The Grizzlies were also shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc, to the Mastodons’ 25% and the Grizzlies had four more steals with nine, compared to the Mastodons’ five.
Both teams were quiet to start the third quarter, but the Mastodons were first to finally score and continued to build on their lead. Purdue Fort Wayne’s Amellia Bromenschenkel played a pivotal role for their offense and also was their leading scorer with 19 points, going 9-13 from the field.
While she was getting hot, it was Miriam Ibezim who provided a spark for Oakland, completing the and-one play to halt Purdue Fort Wayne’s 7-0 run.
Oakland had to find ways to score the basketball, and Markyia McCormick wasted no time in doing so as well. The Mastodons’ Shayla Sellers had an answer and stepped up with consecutive buckets, and they started to become even more effective with their shooting and were up double digits with 5:33 remaining.
From that point on, Purdue Fort Wayne continued to seize control over the game, leaving no room for the Grizzlies to mount a comeback and secured a 20-point win with a final score of 79-59.
McCormick led Oakland scorers with 17 points, three assists, and accumulated four steals. Quarles-Daniels followed suit and contributed 13 points, five steals, and nine boards. Ibezim concluded the night with 10 points, two blocks, and a major eight rebounds. Linda van Schaik also had eight points.
What’s Next?
The Golden Grizzlies plan to bounce back from this and get ready to host the Milwaukee Panthers on Thursday, January 18th at the OU Credit Union O’rena. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.