Oakland University advances after beating Kentucky 80-76 in first round of NCAA Tournament
(CBS DETROIT) - The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies are not done fighting after taking out the Kentucky Wildcats with an 80-76 win in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
It is the team's first NCAA Tournament bid in 10 years following an 83-76 win over Milwaukee in the Horizon League championship game last week.
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The No. 14 Golden Grizzlies (24-11) held on against the No. 3 seed Kentucky (23-10) at the PPG PAINTS Arena in Pittsburgh. The win puts them in the second round on Saturday against No. 11 North Carolina State for a chance to then compete in the Sweet 16. North Carolina State Wolfpack dominated in their first-round game, eliminating No. 6 Texas Tech Raiders.
Oakland University pushed through with Jack Gohlke, a graduate transfer who finished with 32 points, and some late shot-making by his teammates. Trey Townsend had 17 points for the Horizon League champions. DQ Cole added 12, including a 3 from the corner with 28 seconds left that gave the Grizzlies a four-point lead.
The momentum carried all the way to the final buzzer as the Grizzlies gave head coach Greg Kampe a moment he'd been building toward over 40 years with the program.
Gohlke ended the game with the ball in his hands after one final Kentucky miss as the Grizzlies became the 23rd 14 seed to win a first-round game since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Oakland is joining No. 9 Michigan State University, which will move on to the next round after beating No. 8 Mississippi State on Thursday. The Spartans will take on No. 1 seed North Carolina in the second round.