Oakland’s women’s basketball team was victorious at The Jungle on Jan. 28 against the IUPUI Jaguars.
The Golden Grizzlies finished strong in a nail-biting fourth quarter. The game proved to be a continued, intense battle, with each possession being an opportunity to hold on to the momentum.
The fourth quarter started with a stellar jumper from Maddy Skorupski, expanding Oakland’s lead to 46-43. However, IUPUI responded with a layup from Faith Stinson.
The Jaguars tried to be a challenge for the Grizzlies defensively, but it wasn’t anything that Kennedie Montue couldn’t handle as she contributed a critical jumper in the paint. Both teams looked to gain the upper hand in the final moments, but a series of fouls and turnovers intensified the game. Skorupski stepped up to the free throw line and sank two shots, but the Jaguars’ Katie Davidson had an answer that kept the score tight at 50-49.
As the clock ticked down, Oakland’s Madison Royal-Davis, who ended the night with seven points, made a significant move with such a powerful and-one layup, giving Oakland the 53-50 advantage with 5:40 remaining in the fourth.
IUPUI kept the pressure on, reducing the deficit, until there was a late-game surge that saw multiple Golden Grizzlies, Skorupski, Linda van Schaik and Montue all making valuable plays, both in field goals and free throws.
Despite IUPUI’s efforts, it was unable to close the gap completely, and a final steal from Brooke Quarles-Daniels ended the game, and the Grizzlies secured the win with a final score of 65-59.
Skorupski led all scorers with 13 points, to go along with her two steals and five rebounds. Acting head coach Deanna Richard had nothing short of positive things to say about the guard.
“The one thing I can say about Maddy is her growth throughout the season,” Richard said. “The one thing we’ve talked about with her is letting things go when she makes a mistake. She’s doing a tremendous job of that, and I think that really helps her on both ends of the floor — shooting the ball, getting steals, and doing what she does on defense.”
Following Skorupski in points was Markyia McCormick, who had 12 points. Quarles-Daniels had 10 points and four rebounds. The Grizzlies executed their game plan, and great things happened in what was a hard-fought battle.
“Our takeaway from tonight and our focus from tonight was commitment — just commitment to everything we’ve done, to the scouting, and committed to execution,” Richard said. “You know, we had some ups and downs and rollercoaster moments in the game, but you know, overall, we finished the game, and we pulled it out.”
What’s Next?
The Golden Grizzlies will head back to the OU Credit Union O’rena to play Youngstown State University for Equity and Inclusion Night on Feb. 8. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Following that, they will then stay at home and host the Colonials of Robert Morris on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.
As things currently stand, Oakland sits in a tie for seventh place with Youngstown State. Both teams hold a 5-8 record.