The men’s basketball team was victorious at the Nutter Center on Saturday, Feb. 10 defeating the Wright State Raiders by a score of 74-60.
The game opened up with a quick exchange of missed layups and jumpers, setting the tone for a defensive battle early on. Oakland’s DQ Cole had struck first and made a statement with a powerful layup in the paint that finally put the team on the board.
Cole continued to contribute consistently both on offense and defense throughout the game. Wright State showed that they were struggling to keep pace at first until there were solid plays from players Brandon Noel and Tanner Holden.
Wright State didn’t have an answer for Oakland’s Chris Conway, though, who has shown all season long that he has extended his game, sinking a jumper in the paint at the 1:46 mark of the first half. There was then a layup made by Isaiah Jones, and Oakland went into halftime with a comfortable 36-24 lead.
Second Half
To start the second half, it was Trey Townsend who had consistently delivered clutch plays. Wright State attempted to stage a comeback, but Oakland’s defense had remained staunch.
Oakland’s depth proved to be such a significant advantage as well, as Tone Hunter provided valuable contributions in his point-guard role off the bench. The Golden Grizzlies stayed on the move and went on a 10-2 run, and the Raiders just didn’t have any type of response.
The Raiders had shot only 34 percent from the floor. Meanwhile, Oakland had continued to execute their plays to perfection, and eventually, it became a deficit too large to overcome as Oakland secured an impressive all-around win with a final score of 74-60.
Trey Townsend led the scoring with 19 points. Jack Gohlke and DQ Cole both added 15 points to the tally. Chris Conway and Isaiah Jones rounded out the scoring with six of their own.
“I want to give a ton of credit to my staff — Covington, Bobby, Jeff Smith and a tremendous game plan,” head coach Greg Kampe said. “They put a hell of a game plan together. Our kids executed it, and you know, they missed some shots, but they missed some shots because it was hard to get shots, and then when they did get through, they missed a couple that they probably normally make, but we never let them get in the flow. We controlled the tempo tremendous. We still got some runouts, but we really controlled the tempo. I give DQ Cole and Tone Hunter a ton of credit for that, and Blake Lampman.”
The Golden Grizzlies will build on this impressive victory with only a few more games left of the regular season, poised to solidify their standing in the league.
“We’ve won 11 hurdles, we’ve cleared 11 hurdles. Our whole goal is to be a top-four team and get a buy and host. We know how important that is,” Kampe said.
What’s Next?
Oakland will head to Indiana to play Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. They will then make their way back home and host the IUPUI Jaguars on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.