MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — In a Horizon League men’s basketball game defined more by defensive grit and offensive inefficiency than any aesthetic beauty, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies used a dominant first half to secure a 73-60 victory over the Milwaukee Panthers on Thursday night at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

A crowd of 1,643 watched as Oakland, the visiting team, built an 11-point halftime lead and maintained a comfortable margin throughout the second half to improve to 10-9 overall. Milwaukee fell to 8-11.

The most important part of the game was Oakland’s initial surge and Milwaukee’s profound inability to answer from beyond the arc. The Golden Grizzlies opened the contest on a 15-2 run, fueled by the interior play of Michael Houge and Isaac Garrett. That early cushion proved critical as both teams settled into a slog characterized by missed shots and turnovers. Milwaukee’s offensive struggles were particularly glaring from three-point range, where they finished a dismal 2 for 20. Oakland was not much better at 4 for 16, but their early work inside established a tone and a lead they would never relinquish.

Houge, a 6-foot-7 forward from Detroit, led all scorers with 19 points, while guard Brody Robinson of Houston added 17 points and four assists. Garrett, from Pleasant Grove, Utah, provided a strong all-around effort with 13 points, four assists and a block. For Milwaukee, local product Sekou Konneh, a 6-foot-9 forward, led the way with 16 points. Aaron Franklin of Kansas City, Missouri, contributed 13 points.

The game’s statistical profile underscored the rugged nature of the contest. Oakland scored 73 points on 75 possessions for an offensive rating of 96.8, while Milwaukee managed only 60 points on 77 possessions, an offensive rating of 78.4. Both teams shot under 35% from the floor, with Milwaukee’s 24-for-70 performance slightly worse than Oakland’s 25-for-59. The Panthers did hold advantages in offensive rebounds (15-11), assists (10-7), and steals (10-7), but those were negated by their poor shooting and Oakland’s 19-for-24 performance at the free-throw line, compared to Milwaukee’s 10-for-18.

The second half saw Milwaukee never cut the deficit to single digits. Every Panther push was met with a response, often from Houge or Garrett in the paint or Robinson at the line. A technical foul on Milwaukee’s Tate MacKenzie with 6:43 remaining, which led to Oakland free throws, typified the Panthers’ frustrations as they tried unsuccessfully to mount a sustained rally.

The result flipped the pregame projections, as Oakland entered as a narrow 2-point favorite despite Interstat’s ELO system giving Milwaukee a 55.6% probability to win. The combined score of 133 points fell well under the over/under line of 165.5.

Oakland, which had split its last two conference games, now looks ahead to a Sunday matchup at Green Bay. Milwaukee, coming off a win over IU Indy, will travel to Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Rochester, Michigan, on Feb. 22.