Oakland University’s men’s basketball team was defeated 71-67 by Oral Roberts University in the Mid-Continent Conference championship game. The game came down to the final seconds as Oakland attempted to earn the conference title and an automatic bid in the NCAA Division I tournament.

"It was a physical game and we did not get the ball to the basket in the second half," said OU Head Coach Greg Kampe. "We shot twenty percent in the second half and you don't win championships like that."

Golden Grizzly Erik Kangas hit a three-pointer with just under 12 minutes remaining in the first half and the shot sparked a 9-1 OU run that put the Grizzlies up 18-12. At the end of the first half, OU was up 45-34. Kangas had 20 points. 

Oral Roberts came out strong in the second half and cut OU’s lead. OU went on a 6-0 run for a five-point lead, but Oral Roberts responded with a 12-2 run, giving them a 65-60 advantage. The Grizzlies didn’t recover and finished the game 71-67.

Many fans from Oral Roberts, a Tulsa-based school, made the trip to the championship game.

"There weren't a lot of friendly faces in this place, but I think we handled it," said Kampe.

OU earned the trip to the championship game after defeating Western Illinois and UMKC in the previous rounds.

The women’s basketball team was defeated by Oral Roberts earlier in the day in the women’s Mid-Con championship game. The women will make their first appearance in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament this year after finishing the season with a 19-11 overall record. Watch The News @ OU for more information.