PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Michigan News Source) – Throwing the first big pebble at the NCAA Tournament to knock down a Goliath of NCAA basketball programs, no. 14 seeded Oakland University let the world know they were not afraid to play on the big stage. Jack Gohlke, a graduate transfer from NCAA Division II Hillsdale College, threw the most pebbles to take down Goliath and no. 3 seed Kentucky, 80-76, making 10 three-pointers finishing with 32 points. His 10 three-pointers tied for the second most made three-pointers in a game just behind Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer’s 11 set in 1990.

“We aren’t a Cinderella,” Gohlke said at the end of the CBS interview. “This is something I have worked hard for my whole career and coach instilled the confidence in me to go out and gives me the freedom to go out there and play in a positive way and I’m just having fun. This was a tremendous crowd on a tremendous stage.”

MORE NEWS: ‘Wild Lights’ Brighten the Detroit Zoo

Greg Kampe, head coach for Oakland, is in his 40th year for the Grizzlies, has now helped the program he loves to their first-ever first-round NCAA Tournament win. Oakland has been close in the past but never pulled off the win. This time, though, it’s what they wanted. He says, “We wanted Kentucky and we wanted this stage. They are the best. We win all close games. I told the team in the huddle close to the end of the game that ‘We win close games.’ When you have great kids with great character that’s when you win close games.”

And a close game is what they received as the team pulled off the first major upset of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. After Gohlke’s 32 points, Trey Townsend added 17 points and 12 rebounds with four assists. DQ Cole finished with 12 points hitting three three-pointers.

The two teams traded leads early before Kentucky had some momentum in the middle of the half. Down two, 13-11, at 11:13, a Townsend layup tied the game and started an 8-0 run in a minute and a half as Gohlke ended it on a three-pointer for a six-point lead, 19-13. That run switched the momentum to Oakland as they kept the lead the rest of the first half until the 3:13 mark when Kentucky went up, 33-31. The final three minutes went back-and-fourth as Rocket Watts hit a jumper with 45 seconds left for a three-point halftime lead, 38-35.

Kentucky was on their toes the entire second half as Oakland had a seven-point lead, 59-52, with 8:55 remaining. With 3:33 to go, Gohlke went 2-of-3 from the line pushing the lead to six points, 71-65. Kentucky pulled within one, 75-74, with 1:03 left but Cole hit a clutch three-pointer from the corner with 37 seconds remaining making it 78-74. After Kentucky missed a three-pointer, Townsend was fouled making one free throw with 13 seconds left putting the Oakland lead at five, 79-74. The Wildcats made an easy bucket with four seconds left as Townsend was fouled before the Grizzlies threw the ball in.

Townsend made his second free throw to seal the game for a four-point lead, 80-76, as Gohlke grabbed Kentucky’s missed three-point attempt to end the game.

“We are going to enjoy about 45 minutes of this, but we are going to get ready. We have a chance of a lifetime as this isn’t the end of it. We’ve got more and the only way we are going to win Saturday is stay focused and win them one at a time. We’re going to do that,” says Kampe.

MORE NEWS: Guaranteed Income Programs Pop Up Nationwide With Help From Federal Pandemic Relief Money

Oakland will face the winner of the no. 11 NC State/No. 6 Texas Tech game on Saturday.