Oakland Basketball: 3 key takeaways from Grizzlies win over Detroit Mercy

In front of a packed crowd for this in-conference in-state rivalry game, Oakland Basketball was able to make the home crowd happy and give the Grizzlies a 1-0 record in Horizon conference play.

Detroit Mercy came out to start the game in a 2-3  zone defensively but quickly switched to man to man when Oakland Basketball jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind Tray Maddox and his five early points. Detroit didn’t score until under 14 minutes in the 1st half and scored five quick points. The Titans switched defenses again and went to a half-court trap and cut the Grizzlies lead down to ten. However, Oakland’s Jackie Harris made a three to extend the Grizzlies lead to 22-9.

Detroit Mercy’s Jordan Gorman hit two straight three points and Detroit went on a run to make it 29-20. However, Xavier-Hill-Mais battled and dunked it to stop the Titans run and make it a 34-22 game. Daniel Oladapo didn’t score his first points of the game until just under 2 minutes left in the half but got four quick points to extend the Grizzlies lead to 41-23. Oakland went into the half leading Detroit 46-26.

Even though the Grizzlies Brad Brechting was held scoreless in the 1st half, Oakland was 7 for 13 from beyond the arch and Hill-Mais and Maddox Jr. combined for 23 of the Grizzlies 1st half points. The Titans leading scorer Antoine Davis was held to 9 points on 1 for 8 shooting from the field in the 1st half.

Oakland continued their offensive dominance in the 2nd half as the Grizzlies continued to have balanced scoring as bench players such as Kenny Pittman Jr. chipped in with four early 2nd half points. However, with just under 10 minutes to go in the game, the Titans intense defensive pressure allowed them to cut the  Grizzlies lead down to 12. Gorman continued to be the bright spot for the Detroit offense as he had made four three-pointers up to this point in the game and played solid defense as well. Davis midway through the 2nd half started picking up his offensive production. Davis hit a key three with just over 8 minutes left to make it a 60-52 point game.

Brechting made a critical basket in the pain to make it a 67-54 came with just under five minutes to play. Oakland would pull away from Detroit Mercy and come away with a 78-69 victory to start Horizon League action off on the right note. Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for Oakland’s win over Detroit Mercy.

Oakland’s Offensive Efficiency

The Grizzlies were able to endure all of the different defensive looks that the Titans threw at them. Oakland went nine deep in the first half and was able to plug in scorers to deep the Detroit Mercy defense off balance. Maddox jr. shot four for seven in the first half and scored 10 points going into the second half. Hill-Mais was dominant down low in the paint and was five for seven from the floor in the first half with a game-leading 13 1st half points. Blake Lampman came off the bench early in the first half and was 3 for 5 from three-point range with nine first-half points.

Hill-Mais ended the game with 21 points and Maddox Jr. was right behind him with 20 points to lead the Grizzlies offensive attack. Oakland had great ball movement and executed in their half-court sets. They found the open three-point shooters which not only allowed the Grizzlies to make shots beyond the arc but it opened up the inside in the 2nd half. Oakland shot the ball well overall due to their offensive efficiency and production and their ability to share the ball.

The Grizzlies were able to contain Detroit’s leading scorer Davis

If it wasn’t for Davis’s free throw shooting, you can make a strong case that Oakland shut down Davis during this game. The Titans leading scorer was held to 12.5% shooting from the field in the first half and was 1 for 5 from beyond the arc going into the second half. Davis was able to get some offensive productivity in the 2nd half ending the game with 21 points but he was 3 for 16 from the field and 3 of 12 from three-point range.

Even though Davis got to the free throw line and was perfect going 12-12, he not being able to make his outside shots hindered the Titans offense. However, give credit to the Grizzlies defense as they played solid man to defense on him and did not allow him to get open looks and made him work to get the ball. Davis spent much of the game using his energy to get the ball as it appeared that Oakland was doing everything in their power to deny him the ball at all costs.

Oakland was able to withstand the late Titan run with solid a defensive stand

The Grizzlies were not making their free throws and missing shots in the paint but they were able to grab the key rebounds and make the timely steals to stop the Titans offensive momentum in the middle to end of the second half.  Hill-Mais and Brechting were able to protect the paint and prevent second-chance opportunities for Detroit Mercy. Maddox Jr. makes some nice steals and Kevin Kangu played some solid 2nd half defense.

Give credit to Detroit Mercy for not giving up but also give credit where credit is due with the Grizzlies defense clamping down and withering the runs that the Titans were going on late in the 2nd half trying and attempting to dig into Oakland’s lead. In the end, as well as the Grizzlies offense played especially in the 1st half, it was their defense in the 2nd half that won them the game.