Hamilton's Career-High Leads Oakland Past IPFW, 86-68

Saturday, January 15

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7:00 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Oakland

Frank Gaines registered his third double-double of the season vs. Oakland

Hamilton's Career-High Leads Oakland Past IPFW, 86-68

1/15/2011 10:06:47 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Fort Wayne, IN - Oakland junior transfer guard Reggie Hamilton scored a career-high 31 points, and the Golden Grizzlies used a decided advantage at the free throw line, to push past IPFW, 86-68 on Saturday night at the Memorial Coliseum.

Hamilton, a transfer from UMKC, was 9-14 from the floor and 11-11 from the free throw line in his career performance. Oakland (12-8, 7-0 SL) was rock solid from the free throw line, making 27-30 (21-22 in the second half).

The Golden Grizzlies opened up an 11-point lead early in the ballgame as Hamilton scored seven straight, making it 19-8 at the 12:04 mark.

Oakland held that lead until the Mastodons made a move with just six minutes left in the half. Senior guard Ben Botts, junior guard Jeremy Mixon and sophomore guard Frank Gaines each slashed to the basket on successive possessions to cut the OU lead to just three at 32-29.

At the halftime buzzer, OU led 35-32.

In the second half, IPFW would come out and tie the game on a Botts 3-pointer and take a 44-42 lead on another Botts jumper with 16:30 to go, but just as the momentum had swung to the Mastodons side, it switched directions.

An "and one" by OU senior forward Will Hudson gave Oakland back a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the evening.

A 3-pointer by Hamilton, a steal and dunk by freshman guard Ryan Bass and two more baskets by Hamilton pushed the OU lead back to 13 (64-51) and for all intents and purposes ended the game.

IPFW played for most of the contest without starting forward Trey McCorkle who continues to struggle with a leg injury. Freshman forward Michael Kibiloski spelled McCorkle and did an outstanding job on Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Keith Benson. Kibiloski limited Benson to just 10 points in the contest, well under his 16.9 ppg. average.

IPFW was led in scoring by Gaines who registered his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Botts added 12, while Mixon dropped in 10.

Oakland won the battle of the boards, 33-29.

With the loss, IPFW falls to 11-6 and 5-2 in conference. The Mastodons will now hit the road for the next two games, beginning at North Dakota State on Thursday night. The Bison (9-8, 3-4 SL) fell at Western Illinois on Saturday night, 67-62. Game time in Fargo, North Dakota is 8:00 p.m.

The Mastodons will finish off their road trip next Saturday night at South Dakota State who fell at IUPUI tonight, 81-76.

~Dons~