Oh, how close they came.

The Oakland University men’s basketball team came maddeningly close to delivering an upset of seventh-ranked Michigan State (7-3) Saturday afternoon, but the Golden Grizzlies (5-5) furious comeback in the final minute came up just short as the Spartans prevailed, 77-76.

The game, played at The Palace of Auburn Hills before over 17,000 fans, was closely-contested throughout, with Oakland remaining in striking distance to the very end.

The most significant stat of the game was 55 percent — Oakland’s free-throw shooting percentage, which ultimately became the team’s undoing. The Grizzlies missed seven second half free throw attempts, which loom particularly large given the narrow, 1-point defeat.

“I’m sick to my stomach,” Grizzlies head coach Greg Kampe said. “I just told our guys that until they believe that they can beat anybody in the country, you’re going to miss some free throws because you’re thinking, ‘If I miss these we’re in trouble.'”

Oakland trailed by seven points with 59 seconds remaining, but scored 10 points over its final four possessions, while fouling to send the Spartans to the free-throw line in hopes of missed shots.

A pivotal offensive rebound by MSU’s Draymond Green with 22 seconds remaining cost the Grizzlies precious time that may have made the difference.

Trailing by four points, Reggie Hamilton knocked down his second consecutive long-range 3-pointer at the final buzzer, leaving OU a single point short of a tie.

“I thought we played awfully well,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “I think you have to give a lot of credit to Oakland … I think we got fooled a little bit by a team that played like you’re supposed to against a (top ten) team like we are.”

While the Grizzlies entered the game as the decided-underdog, Kampe was bitter that his team was unable to pull off the upset in such a close contest.

“I told (my players) that everybody is going to pat you on the back and say, ‘Great job,’ but that’s crap. (Michigan State) had one more point than we did and we came to win,” Kampe said. “It’s really disappointing that couldn’t get this (win), but in the scope of it, if we learn from this and we understand how close we are, then come March we’ll be okay.”

The game opened at a frenzied pace, with each team beginning the game 4-of-5 from the field. Larry Wright came out firing for OU, hitting on his first three shots from behind the 3-point arc to invigorate the offense.

The first half featured five lead changes and 10 ties, with the Spartans taking just a 4-point, 39-35, lead into the break.

Oakland converted on its first two possessions of the second half to knot the score at 39-39, but the Spartans answered with a 10-0 scoring run to open up their biggest lead of the game. With nine minutes remaining, the Grizzlies had chipped their deficit down to just two points, 54-52.

Keith Benson recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and benefitted from facing less double-teams defensively.

“I tried to limit (Michigan State’s) touches in the post and I think I did a pretty good job of scoring down low and getting rebounds,” Benson said.

Izzo said he feared what Oakland’s perimeter shooters might be able to do to the Spartans if Benson drew an extra defender as most teams elect to do.

“I thought for the most part (Benson) was very patient,” Izzo said. “He made some really tough shots that I couldn’t have asked to be defended any better.”

In easily his best game of the season, Wright finished with a team-high 21 points for Oakland on 7-of-10 shooting.

“Wright was the difference today,” Izzo said. “And it’s funny because when we went through scouting reports the coaches said ‘Larry Wright is a driver, not a shooter,” and I thought, “Wait a minute, I saw him in high school and he could shoot it.'”

Three other Grizzlies reached double figures, while Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with a game-high 25 points.

The overall statistics for the two sides mirrored each other very closely. The Spartans were more successful, however, in forcing miscues and collected 13 steals which led to some easy fast break points.

“Of all these matchups (against ranked teams), the one that scared me the most is this one because our strengths are also Michigan State’s strengths,” Kampe said. “I knew we were going to get their best shot. I read all of the stuff they were saying about us being sissies or whatever they were saying we are. I thought Benson might get broken in half in the first two possessions. I expected to have to pick people up off the ground because that’s how (the Spartans) are.”

The loss was Oakland’s third against the Big Ten Conference this season, though the margin of defeat was much lower than in previous losses to Purdue and Illinois on the road.

“We competed again, and we’re getting closer and closer to these top schools,” Hamilton said. “But we need to put a complete game together. We’re learning from the tiny mistakes … we’re putting the work in and doing the homework.”

The Grizzlies will have another prime opportunity to try and knock off a national powerhouse when they face Tennessee, the top-ranked team in RPI, Tuesday in Knoxville, Tenn.

“I think Oakland is going to be an NCAA (Tournament) team,” Izzo said. “I think it’s the best team (Kampe) has had when I look at it all around. This team can be a real thorn in the side.”

To watch Coach Kampe discuss the loss in the post-game press conference, click here.