Lourdes led NCAA Division I Oakland at halftime on Saturday evening, but the Golden Grizzlies took control in the third quarter and defeated the Gray Wolves 72-53 inside the O'Rena in Rochester, Mich.
 
The game was an exhibition contest for Lourdes but a regular season contest for the Golden Grizzlies.
 
"We really worked hard in the first half and definitely caught them off guard," head coach John Kenger said afterwards.  "Even after Oakland started to go on a run in the third, we kept battling.  We showed a lot of fight on the floor and had great energy from our bench."
 
The Gray Wolves kept the opening quarter close, trailing 13-10 after 10 minutes, but pulled in front in the second 10 minutes.  Lourdes scored the first five points of the second stanza and took the lead after a three-point play by Erica Cary (Central City, Ky./Muhlenberg County H.S.).
 
The lead went back and forth throughout the quarter before Krisah Lewis (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy) scored the final points before halftime, giving the Gray Wolves a 29-28 lead at the break.
 
The Gray Wolves were within three, 36-33, with under four minutes to play in the frame, but the Golden Grizzlies ended the quarter on a 9-2 run to build a 10-point lead heading to the fourth.
 
The Gray Wolves pulled to within seven, 47-40, with seven minutes to play in the game, but Oakland responded with an 11-0 run to put the game away.
 
Mirandia Green (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer H.S.) led Lourdes with 13 points while Cary and Mary Liedel (Erie, Mich./Mason H.S.) had seven points each.  Liedel also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Alona Blackwell led Oakland (5-6) with 18 points off the bench while Kayla Luchenbach added 13 points.
 
Lourdes (3-11) will be idle for the holidays before returning to action on Jan. 4 when the Gray Wolves host Ohio Christian.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.