ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Golden Grizzlies of Oakland University secured their first outright Horizon League regular-season title since entering the conference in 2014. In a gripping Senior Night showdown, Oakland edged out their rivals Detroit Mercy with a nail-biting 75-70 victory, which also marked the program's first outright title since their Summit League days back in 2011.
Blake Lampman, a player who wasn't even supposed to travel with the team to Greece before his freshman year, led the Grizzlies with 20 points, while Trey Townsend supported with 18 points and six rebounds, the Detroit News reported. Oakland's esteemed head coach Greg Kampe, lauded how his team "battled" and "found a way to win," encapsulating the spirit of his squad throughout the season.
In a tense match, amidst roars from the home crowd, Townsend clinched a momentous three-point play in the final seconds ensuring the win; fans even chanted "One More Year!" hoping to see him retain in their jersey, per the Golden Grizzlies official site. This win also presented Lampman an additional accolade as he became the all-time leader in games played for Oakland with 138 appearances.
Despite the disappointing season's record, Detroit Mercy held the lead for more than 25 minutes of the game, exhibiting determination and hustle that pushed Oakland to intensify their game, the golden grizzlies came back from a seven-point deficit with a series of aggressive plays in the second half, a run-on but this scenario is not unfamiliar to fans familiar with the unpredictable nature of rivalry games like this. With essential contributions from the entire senior lineup who, combined, amassed an impressive 55 points according to The Oakland Press.
Oakland's hard-fought win propels them as the No. 1 seed into the Horizon League tournament, getting a bye and home court advantage for their quarterfinal against the lowest-remaining seed from the preliminary rounds, as stated by Kampe in a statement obtained by the Golden Grizzlies. Coming off the back of this emphatic victory, the Golden Grizzlies are now laser-focused on the prospect of securing the conference tournament title, and perhaps a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
