Men’s basketball pulls off early season upset over Oklahoma State

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The Oakland men’s basketball team got their first win over a Power 5 team since March 14, 2017.

The Oakland University men’s basketball team went into Stillwater and upset the Oklahoma State Cowboys Friday night.

After keeping it close with West Virginia on Tuesday night, the Golden Grizzlies were able to finish the job Friday. Guard Jalen Moore struggled from the floor [4-13], but he made some big shots and big free throws when it mattered most. 

Oakland led at the half 30-22. Grad transfer forward Jamal Cain had 10 points and eight rebounds at the break, He would finish with 14 and 12 for his third career double-double, and his first as a Golden Grizzly. 

The Cowboys would start the second half on a 12-4 run to tie the game at 34, and the game would be a back-and-forth frenzy from there on out. Just when it seemed like Oklahoma State was going to eke out a win, Moore took over.

He scored the final seven points for the Grizzlies, including four big free throws down the stretch. He finished with 16 points overall. He would hit two of three after being fouled from behind the three-point line to give the Golden Grizzlies a 56-55 lead. 

Oklahoma State’s game-winning shot attempt failed, and the celebration began for Head Coach Greg Kampe’s bunch. 

“I’ve coached for 44 years, and when [Moore] went to the free throw line…I’ve never heard a building as loud as this place was,” Kampe said during #GrizzVision. “And when the first one didn’t go in, the octane went up — and for that young man to bury the next two — unbelievable.”

Kampe has been high on this team all preseason, and it all came to fruition in the form of the program’s first win over a Power 5 team since March 14, 2017 against Clemson. 

“I just believe in this group, man,” Kampe said. “I’ve never been so positive about a team before they ever played a game. The energy and the enthusiasm that they have and the way they play and the togetherness they have — we got a chance to be special. This can’t be the highlight of our season though. We’re 1-1, we got Toledo coming in on Wednesday, and this is just a game we thought we could win, and we did.”

Oakland’s next game will be their only home game of the non-conference schedule as they take on the Toledo Rockets on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. at the O’Rena.