On Saturday, Jan. 13, the Oakland women’s basketball team conquered the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) Titans at the OU Credit Union O’rena in a dominant 89-55 victory.
The victory marks the Grizzlies’ sixth consecutive against the Titans when playing at home and the team’s third conference win. Notably, OU has won 13 of its last 14 matchups against UDM, a stretch that has lasted since the 2017-18 season.
Kennedie Montue led the team in scoring, tallying 20 points in just 19 minutes while shooting an efficient 62.5% from the field. In addition to Montue, four other Grizzlies, Miriam Ibezim, Linda van Schaik, Brooke Quarles-Daniels and Alexis Johnson, contributed double-digit scoring efforts.
In addition to an excellent offensive output from the team, OU also took care of business on defense. Notably, six different players managed to get steals throughout the game, with Quarles-Daniels leading the way with four.
The strong defense was the catalyst for the Grizzlies in this matchup, as UDM had 21 turnovers while the Grizzlies had 16. OU was able to capitalize on the Titans’ turnovers as a result, scoring 25 points off turnovers compared to the UDM, who registered eight points off turnovers.
OU was electric on offense and exposed some vulnerabilities in the Titans’ defense at the start of the first quarter. Interestingly, OU’s first points of the quarter were a complete team effort, as all five OU starters were able to score the team’s first 11 points, with a majority of those points coming from inside the paint.
On defense, a Grizzly press thwarted multiple early UDM possessions, as Markyia McCormick and van Schaik each had steals in the first three minutes of the quarter. Throughout the first quarter, the aggressive defense from OU resulted in eight turnovers from the Titans.
In addition to the takeaways, the Titans were disorganized by the time the team advanced the ball up the court. Furthermore, with no counter to the OU press, UDM played most of their possessions with a depleted shot clock, and the Grizzlies finished the first quarter leading the Titans 26-15.
In the second quarter, the Grizzlies continued to find easy buckets in the paint and remained a defensive force. OU held the Titans to a game-low nine points the entire quarter, and the Grizzlies increased their lead to 42-24 heading into the half.
By the third quarter, the Grizzlies ran away with the game and didn’t look back. The team continued to attack the paint with succession and brought down six offensive rebounds. Remarkably, 12 of OU’s 26 points this quarter came from down low.
Meanwhile, the Titans were indescribably lost on offense. The team rarely had any ball or player movement, ultimately butchering UDM’s opportunity to score and chip into the significant OU lead. The Grizzlies held the Titans to just 14 points in the third.
Come the fourth quarter, the Titans showed some life, but it was far little too late, as OU opened the final quarter with a 30-point lead. Additionally, UDM’s offense continued to be stagnant at times, resulting in multiple empty possessions.
Furthermore, with a fresh set of players on the court for the Grizzlies in the fourth, OU remained active on offense. Cameron Grant led the Grizzlies in scoring in the final quarter, accumulating six points, as OU emerged victorious.
Coming up, the Grizzlies will enjoy a three-game homestand at the OU Credit Union O’rena. OU will host the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers on Thursday, Jan. 18, before squaring off with the University of Green Bay Phoenix on Saturday, Jan. 20.