MSU Has Massive Record To Retain In Oakland Matchup
![Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo, left, talks with Oakland's head coach Greg Kampe before the game on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. \"They get their players going, the level of intensity just ratchets up and there's nothing you can do about it as a visiting player or team,\" Said Kampe of the Izzone impact.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_90,w_2000,h_1125/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/spartan_nation/01kct7p5m5vvetkk4ega.jpg "Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo, left, talks with Oakland's head coach Greg Kampe before the game on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. \\"They get their players going, the level of intensity just ratchets up and there's nothing you can do about it as a visiting player or team,\\" Said Kampe of the Izzone impact.")
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MSU has its 12th game of the season coming up shortly against Oakland, an opponent that they have faced 23 times in their history of matchups that dates back to 1998.
In such a large history, it is normally expected for each team to have lost a game at some point, even if from an odd year or a time when a given team is rebuilding its roster or players are going through adversity.
However, this is not the case for the Spartans, as they have won every single one of their 23 games against the Golden Grizzlies whether they have had areas to improve or not.
They have had their fair share of close calls, but their perfect record against Oakland is something that MSU needs to retain this Saturday to keep up their ideal history against them.
A Look At The History Between MSU And Oakland
The Consistent Meetings Of Oakland And MSU
- The Spartans have been facing off against the Golden Grizzlies almost every year since 1998, only taking breaks from their annual matchups in 2003, 2005, and 2011.
- This has caused the two teams to become familiar foes and forming a small, friendly in-state rivalry that may not be recognized often but is something to look forward to every year.
The Last Time MSU Won Against Oakland
- MSU's last win against Oakland was incredibly recent, having taken place last year, in which almost all of the Spartans' current stars played.
- The game started close, with there only being a one-point difference in the two teams going into halftime, but MSU came out of the locker room hot and ready to dominate.
- Spartan Nation ended up getting to see a 77-58 win as MSU kept up their perfect record, but they were not always able to come up so powerful.
The Last Time MSU Almost Lost To Oakland
- The closest match that MSU has ever had against the Golden Grizzlies was in 2010 when their margin of victory came to be a singular point, winning 77-76.
- This, however, is not the most recent close game between the two teams, as in 2015 the match was taken into overtime after a back-and-forth battle.
- The Spartans, of course, ended up winning 99-93, but that was the most recent scare that MSU has had in which they could have lost their perfect record.
MSU and Oakland have a deep history with each other, and going into their game on Saturday the Spartans will have more than just a win to fight for, but perfection that has been attained over the years before Christmas break.
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Nathan Berry is a senior at NCCS and was raised a Michigan State Spartan fan. With a great interest in sports and writing, journalism is a great avenue to pursue both.