AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Bryn Forbes scored a career-high 32 points and No. 1 Michigan State needed overtime to beat Oakland 99-93 on Tuesday night, the Spartans’ first game without the injured Denzel Valentine.
Eron Harris added 27 points for the Spartans (13-0) who are off to the best start in school history.
Forbes hit seven 3s in nine attempts, including one in overtime that he celebrated by slapping hands with former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves.
The Spartans trailed by as many as 15 points.
Kay Felder, the nation’s No. 2 scorer, had 37 points and nine assists for the Golden Grizzlies (7-4). With his 38 points in a win at Washington, Felder had 75 points in less than 72 hours.
The Spartans trailed 50-37 at halftime but surged to a five-point lead late in regulation. Felder answered at the line, where he was 14 of 18.
It took big plays at both ends from Matt Costello and a key basket from Deyonta Davis to get the job done for Michigan State in the extra 5 minutes. Costello finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Davis had 11 points.
Jalen Hayes, a teammate of Forbes and Valentine at Lansing Sexton High, had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Oakland, which shot 50 percent from the field in the first half but just 26.9 in the second. The Golden Grizzlies didn’t have a basket in seven attempts in overtime.
It wasn’t the first time that Oakland had scared the Spartans. But once again, Michigan State made just enough plays to escape with the win.
Oakland grabbed a 10-6 lead despite two 3s from Forbes, then made it 22-13 on the first of Max Hooper’s three first-half 3s. The Golden Grizzlies were explosive from the start, as Felder’s second 3 of the night gave him 14 points in the first 13 minutes.
With two jumpers and consecutive dunks from Costello and Davis, the Spartans answered with a 9-0 run to cut a 15-point deficit to 34-28. A miss by Forbes and a 3 from Martez Walker built the lead back to nine and ended Michigan State’s last real threat of the half.
But the fun was just beginning.
The Spartans chipped away and finally took their first lead since the opening minutes on Forbes’ 3 from the deep corner with 9:19 left. The rest of the game saw a series of highlight-reel baskets and a steady procession to the foul line, with 90 free throws attempted.
Michigan State, which shot 50 percent from the field for the game, was 29 of 42 at the free throw line. Oakland was 39- of 48.
TIP-INS
Michigan State: The Spartans’ unbeaten streak to start a season ties the record set in 2000-01, the program’s third consecutive Final Four season.
Oakland: The Golden Grizzlies fell to 8-78 all-time against team from the five power conferences and 2-35 against teams from the Big Ten.
OH-KAY
Felder, the nation’s leader in points created with scoring and passing, drew raves from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who thought he was watching one of the best players he had seen at The Palace, home of the Detroit Pistons.
Arthroscopic knee surgery for Valentine on Monday morning spoiled what could have been a matchup of two of the nation’s top five players. But Forbes, a teammate of Valentine’s for more than a decade, picked up the slack with help from Harris.
UP NEXT
Michigan State visits Iowa next Tuesday.
Oakland hosts Chicago State on Monday.
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