Box Score Rochester, Mich. (Jan. 20, 2007) ???C Oakland kept its grip on first-place in the Mid-Continent Conference standings as the Golden Grizzlies hit a season-high 12 three-point shots on its way to a 78-60 men???s basketball win over UMKC in front of over 3,000 fans in the Athletics Center O???Rena. Sophomore Erik Kangas (DeWitt, Mich.) hit eight of those shots and finished with a career-high 28 points, the most scored this season by an OU player. Senior Vova Severovas (Vilnius, Lithuania) added a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds as Oakland remained perfect in conference play at 5-0. Oakland (12-9, 5-0 Mid-Con) used the three-point shot early, getting five over the first seven minutes of the game, three from Kangas, as OU built a 17-8 lead. UMKC (7-14, 2-3 Mid-Con) came back and out scored Oakland 9-3, closing to 20-17 when Brent Stephens converted a three-point play at the 8:28 mark of the half. Severovas and Brandon Cassise (Walled Lake, Mich.) hit jumpers as part of a 7-2 Oakland run that put the Golden Grizzlies back up by eight. The Kangaroos came back again, getting six straight points, four from Dee Ayuba, cutting the lead down to a pair of points with four minutes left in the half. Cassise then hit a three-pointer from the corner to keep UMKC from getting any closer and Oakland went on to out score the Kangaroos 7-4 to take a 34-29 lead at halftime. Neither team was able to gain the upper hand in the opening minutes of the second half and UMKC was within three when Alex Pledger put away a dunk three minutes in. That proved to high-water mark for the Kangaroos in a game in which they never held a lead. A pair of Severovas free throws started the Golden Grizzlies on an 11-3 run over the next four minutes, a run that saw OU run its lead out to double figures for the first time when Cassise hit a jumper in the lane that made it 49-38. Oakland got its lead up to 15 with 11 minutes left, but UMKC was able to cut it in half three minutes later. Quinton Day was fouled on a three-point attempt, sinking all of his free throw to pull the Kangaroos back to within eight. UMKC was still within nine with six minutes left when Oakland put the game away with a decisive finish. Severovas hit another pair of free throws and Kangas drained a trey that put OU up 68-55 with 5:34 left. From there Oakland out scored UMKC 10-3 over final minutes to clinch it, taking a 78-58 lead on a Kangas jumper with a minute to play. Kangas??? eight three-point shots also set a career-high and tied him for second in the OU record books for three-pointers in a game. Cassise also finished in double figures for Oakland, putting in 11 points and handing out a season-high four assists. Ayuba led UMKC, shooting 10-of-16 from the field on his way to a 27-point night. Oakland continued its dominance on the boards, out rebounding UMKC, 41-27. OU also held 47 percent to 38 percent advantage in shooting percentage. Oakland will now face its biggest test of the conference season as it travels to Oral Roberts for a showdown with the Golden Eagles on Thursday, January 25 in Tulsa.