After over a week of no competition, the Golden Grizzlies women’s basketball team returned to the court on Wednesday with a win over the Robert Morris Colonials 55-53 on the road.
The win moves Oakland’s record to 4-6 and marks the first time since the 2020-21 season that the Golden Grizzlies have won their first two conference games. Additionally, the win is the first under interim head coach Deanna Richard this season.
For Oakland, Maddy Skorupski was instrumental in the win, tallying 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals. Madison Royal-Davis also came up big, scoring six points while hauling in 11 rebounds, five of which came on offense.
The Coloinlas leaned heavily on Danielle Vuletich and Noa Givon in this matchup as Vuletich led the team in points and rebounds, ending her night with 19 and eight, respectively. For Givon, she contributed 16 points to go along with four rebounds and four steals.
The first quarter was a defensive showdown between both teams. The Golden Grizzlies’ first four possessions resulted in either a miss or a turnover, as Lianna Baxter scored Oakland’s first points nearly three minutes into the quarter with a jumper.
Oakland scored just three more times throughout the quarter, which was highlighted by threes from Macy Smith and Maddy Skorupski. Despite the Golden Grizzlies’ slow start to the game, they retained a 10-8 lead heading into the second quarter, holding the Colonials to a 23.5% clip in the frame.
In the second, the Golden Grizzlies and the Colonials turned up the tempo on offense, as both teams started to find some consistency and traded baskets. However, on the final possession in the quarter, Givon knocked down a three, putting Robert Morris in the driver’s seat 27-25 heading into the break.
Come the third quarter, more back-and-forth play resumed, with neither team able to build a comfortable lead. Despite the tug-of-war, the Colonials would break through, going on a 12-0 run midway through the third, building a nine-point lead, their largest of the night.
Fortunately for Oakland, the Golden Grizzlies responded with a three from Skorupski and a layup from Royal-Davis before the quarter ended, cutting the Colonial lead down to four points.
As the fourth quarter got underway, Oakland locked down on defense, refusing a Robert Morris field goal for the first seven minutes of the quarter. This allowed the Golden Grizzlies to regroup on offense and take the lead.
Robert Morris found their footing late into the quarter with a pair of buckets from Raissa Nsabua to keep the game within arm’s reach of Oakland as the match neared its end.
In the game’s final moments, Oakland has possession of the ball up two points before Simone Morris stole the ball from Dani Grim, leading to a Robert Morris timeout. With a chance to win or tie the game, Jada Lee took a jumper in the paint that missed the mark, giving Oakland another important win.
Oakland’s defense stood out more than ever throughout the game as the Golden Grizzlies held the Colonials to just a 38.8% field goal percentage. The defense was even better from the perimeter, as Robert Morris only cashed in on 16.7% of their chances.
Next, Oakland will hit the road to take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday, Dec. 22. The game against Indiana marks the first time the programs will meet since the 2018-19 season. Additionally, the game is the Golden Grizzlies’ last non-conference game of the season.