Basketball, at the end of the day, is a math equation.
If my team’s points are greater than your team’s points, it’s a win. Five three-pointers versus five layups is 15 points versus 10 points. Shooting 60% on 20 two-point field goals is equal to shooting 50% on 16 three-point field goals.
My favorite math problem in basketball is that you have a 0% chance to score for every turnover you commit. It sounds obvious, but when you think about it, turning the ball over eliminates any opportunities even to attempt a shot. Even a rushed, last-second, heavily contested three-pointer might have a slim 10% chance of going in. But if you don’t even take the shot and turn the ball over, you waste a possession.
Saturday evening against Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Oakland had 15 turnovers. Fifteen turnovers are zero points on 15 possessions. It’s no wonder OU fell at home to the Norse 84-75.
Turnovers have been a recurring problem throughout January for the Golden Grizzlies, who had multiple games with more than 10 turnovers. The difference in those games was that the defense was limiting their opponents to under 70 points, for the most part.
But NKU came into the OU Credit Union O’Rena on a mission for vengeance after losing to OU at home. They lit up Oakland’s zone defense to the tune of 84 points on 45.9% shooting from the field. They also won the rebounding battle, outmuscling the Golden Grizzlies 33-31.
And perhaps most importantly, they won the turnover battle 15-11.
Oakland’s offense, for the most part, performed above its season averages. Even with the turnover problems, the offense still managed 75 points, something they’ve done only four other times this season. They also shot well above their usual mark on threes, canning 11-25. But it still wasn’t enough.
Going into the matchup and preparing for the game, Oakland’s staff put a lot of attention on limiting Northern Kentucky players Josh Dilling, Sam Vinson and Trey Robinson, their three leading scorers. Their star, Robinson, was held to just eight points with two turnovers, while Vinson also had eight on 1-8 shooting from the field. However, Dilling was allowed too many shots, hitting 3-10 on threes.
Another major focus of Oakland head coach Greg Kampe’s scouting report was on bench player Randall Pettus II. Kampe emphasized when Pettus II plays well, NKU plays well.
Pettus II sure played well. The sophomore scored 14 points on 5-11 shooting (4-9 from 3). Not only did Pettus II play well, but junior Dan Gherezgher Jr. absolutely lit Oakland up. Gherezgher Jr. only averages three points a game, but in just his fourth start of the year, he poured in 22 points with four rebounds and six assists.
On OU’s side, the usual suspects had solid games. DQ Cole continued his recent stretch of hot shooting, going for 15 points with five made threes, five rebounds and five assists. Oakland’s backcourt was also productive, as Buru Naivalurua and Allen Mukeba combined for 32 points and 10 rebounds.
Another recent trend in Oakland’s season has been excessive fouling. The Golden Grizzlies sent the Norse to the line 20 times, where NKU cashed in on 16 free throws. OU may have shot 18-20 from the line themselves, but that efficiency is unusual for this team.
The game broke open when Oakland went on a nearly six-minute scoring drought in the middle of the second half. From 14:56 to 9:14 left in the second half, OU was outscored 15-2. The Golden Grizzlies were never able to piece together a strong enough run of their own to close out the game and make it any closer than seven points.
Next up for Oakland is a home meeting against Youngstown State on Thursday, Feb. 6th.