Kangas’ last second 3-pointer buries North Dakota State

By Samantha Franz

Sports Editor

ROCHESTER— After spending the majority of this season nursing and fighting through abroken collarbone, junior Erik Kangas proved why he was ranked 10th in thenation in three-point shooting last season by sinking the game-winning3-pointer in the final seconds against North Dakota State University Thursdaynight, propelling Oakland University to a 77-74 victory.

“Hewasn’t feeling good about himself after a season full of injuries,” head coachGreg Kampe said of Kangas. “He needed something like this to feel good abouthimself.”

AfterJohnathon Jones knocked down a 3-pointer to kick off the contest in the first30 seconds, the Bison (11-11 overall, 5-6 conference) blindsided Oakland(12-10, 7-4) with an 11-point run that had the Golden Grizzlies staring up atan 11-3 deficit five minutes into the game.

OUstruggled in its attempt to regain the lead in the first half and trailed by asmany as 14 points, thanks to North Dakota State’s 6 for 7 three-point shooting,with guard Mike Nelson shooting 3 for 3.

Kangasnailed a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining in the first half to cut Oakland’sdeficit from eight to five points at the half, 41-36.

OUjunior Derick Nelson, after a four-point first half, came alive in the secondhalf, scoring 14 of his 18 total game points, including the offensive move thatKampe referred to as “the play of the game.”

With2:58 left on the clock and OU behind 68-66, Jones was sent to the free throwline with a chance to even up the game.

 But after both of his shots bounced off therim, Nelson leaped from inside the paint to tip the second miss into the basketand tie the game.

“Idon’t know how he did that,” Kampe said. “But if he hadn’t, we would haveprobably lost that game.”

Fromthere, the Golden Grizzlies overcame two more ties until Jones sank a layup togive the Grizzlies a 74-72 lead with less than a minute to go. But a layup byBison forward Josh Vaughan brought the game to its sixth tie, 74-74, with 31second to go.

Kampecalled a timeout to set up a play for Kangas, who had previously hit four ofhis last nine shots and was 3-for-6 from three-point territory.

Kangascame off a screen and as a Bison defender came at him, he drilled the deepthree-point shot with 1.9 left on the clock. North Dakota State couldn’t mustera last-second play, giving the Golden Grizzlies a 77-74 victory.

“Iknew I had to put up a shot and I was pretty open,” Kangas said. “I could seethe defender’s hand out of the right corner of my eye, but I knew he wasn’tgoing to foul me so I took the shot.”

Joneshad no doubt that Kangas’ game-winning shot was going to go in.

“Iknew it was going in,” he said. “He had been making a lot of his shots tonight.”

Kangasfinished the night with 18 points and Jones paved the way for the GoldenGrizzlies with 21 points and eight assists. Redshirt freshman Keith Bensoncontinued to make an impact as a starter, with 12 points, six rebounds and fourblocks.