Senior guard Travis Bader hit five 3-pointers as the Oakland University men’s basketball team (9-14, 4-4 Horizon) came back from 12 down to defeat the Youngstown State Penguins (13-10, 4-4), 86-85 on Friday night.

Bader is now only three triples away from breaking former Duke star J.J. Redick’s all-time NCAA record of most 3-pointers made. Bader’s current total is 455.

The sharpshooter started slow from behind the arc, missing his first three attempts and the Golden Grizzlies found themselves in a hole for much of the contest.

“For some reason the first half isn’t going how we want it to,” he said. “But we’re good at fighting back to win games.”

Bader had a game-high 26 points while forward Ryan Weber led the Penguins with 20.

This was the second straight game that went down to the final play for the Grizzlies, as they relied on a buzzer-beater to overcome the University of Illinois at Chicago six days earlier.

“It was unbelievable the energy we had, and the fans are getting their money’s worth,” OU head coach Greg Kampe said.

Despite the excitement, the team has yet to lead at halftime during any of their Horizon League matchups this season.

“Maybe we’d rather be behind,” Kampe said. “This team befuddles me, but they play their butt off and they don’t quit.”

It was the first time the Grizzlies were able to lead at the four-minute mark in conference play, and that was after trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half.

With 12:55 remaining in the second half, freshman guard Kahlil Felder hit senior forward Corey Petros with a behind-the-back pass, pulling OU within 10 points to start their comeback.

Felder had his first career double-double with 16 points and 12 assists. Petros also had his Horizon League-leading eighth this year, tallying 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Kampe mixed the Grizzly lineup with about 10 minutes to go in the game and went with a smaller-than-normal squad.

“I didn’t like our offense,” Kampe said. “I don’t why, it just came to me and it worked. There’s nothing genius about it.”

Oakland found themselves down by one with eight seconds remaining when Kendrick Perry went to the line for YSU. He made both free throws, and it was up to Felder. The freshman drove the distance for OU and made two of his own following a foul.

Perry was a force for the Penguins in the second half, scoring 12 points down the stretch and finishing with 17 in the game.

After Felder’s free throws, all that was left for YSU was a last-ditch effort half-court shot that was off the mark.

The Grizzlies travel to Milwaukee for a rematch on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. Milwaukee won the first meeting between the programs at the O’rena, 84-75 on Jan. 8. Oakland returns home to play Cleveland State on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.