FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Fort Wayne Mastodons, riding a strong start to the season, will look to rebound from a narrow conference loss when they visit the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in a Horizon League women’s basketball matchup on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.

Tipoff is set for the Athletics Center O’rena in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Fort Wayne (9-5, 3-1 Horizon) enters with the more impressive overall record but is coming off a tough 88-85 overtime defeat to Northern Kentucky on Monday. The Mastodons had won four straight prior to that loss, including decisive conference victories over Milwaukee, Wright State and a non-league rout of Aquinas.

A key player for the Mastodons is guard Lili Krasovec, who scored 19 points in 23 minutes off the bench against Northern Kentucky. Over her last five games, she has averaged 14 points and 4.2 rebounds, providing a consistent scoring punch.

Oakland (4-8, 1-2) snapped a three-game skid with its most recent outing, a 61-58 road win at Robert Morris on Monday. The Golden Grizzlies’ season has been marked by challenging non-conference road games against power opponents like Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

The Golden Grizzlies are led by guard Makenzie Luehring, who turned in a stellar all-around performance in the win over Robert Morris, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and eight assists. She has scored in double figures in four consecutive games.

Friday’s contest represents a contrast in trajectories. Fort Wayne aims to re-establish momentum in league play, while Oakland seeks to build on its first Horizon victory and climb the conference standings. The Mastodons won both meetings last season.