EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Oakland coach Greg Kampe gave a ringing endorsement to Michigan State's national championship hopes.

"I think that when they get (Mateen) Cleaves back, they're the best team in the country," Kampe said Saturday after the fifth-ranked Spartans beat his Grizzlies 86-51.

"You don't often get beat by 35 points and feel proud of your team, but I'm pleased with the way we played as hard as we could for 40 minutes. I didn't know if we'd get any rebounds and we got into double figures."

Mike Chappell scored a career-high 19 points, including 10 during a 22-5 first-half run, and Charlie Bell scored 20 off the bench to lead the Spartans (8-2).

Bell and Morris Peterson didn't start because they were 20 minutes late for a team meeting after making a trip to Flint to watch Bell's brother play for his high school team.

"We know coach's policies," Bell said. "We called to say we were running late, but we knew what would happen. I just tried to play as well as I could when I did get in."

Oakland (2-8) was playing without two starters. Leading scorer Dan Champagne has a right hand injury, while guard Brad Buddenborg, the Grizzlies' second-leading scorer, has a sprained left ankle. The two are also Oakland's leading rebounders.

The victory extended Michigan State's home winning streak to 18 games, the longest streak since the Spartans began playing at the Breslin Center in 1989.

The Grizzlies stayed with the Spartans for the first 10 minutes of the first half with their strategy of using the full 35 seconds on the shot clock.

Oakland also hit nine of its first 10 free throws, including three apiece by Myke Thom and Mychal Covington after they were fouled shooting three-pointers.

A 3-point basket by Thom at the midway point of the first half tied the game at 18-18, but Michigan State answered with a 22-5 run to lead 40-23 with 1:23 remaining in the first half.

Bell's 3 at the buzzer sent the Spartans off at halftime with a 43-28 lead.

"This was another style that we've been forced to play this year. I think that makes about eight different styles," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "It was a grind-it-out game. Tonight we learned to deal with a team that can shoot and delay. We had a lot of people play pretty well."

Kampe said that it was a change for his team to play at a slower tempo.

"We usually play at breakneck speeds and try to win 100-99, but I felt this was the best chance we had of staying in the game," Kampe said. "I think it bothered Michigan State and it helped us."

Kampe said that the turning point in the game came when Oakland guard Jason Rozycki fouled out with 10:20 left in the game.

"Michigan State did a good job on him, but by doing that they gave us some other openings," Kampe said. "When he fouled out it was their athletes against a bunch of guys who hadn't scored."

Michigan State, which held a 33-12 edge in rebounding for the game, maintained a double figure lead throughout the second half.

Thom led Oakland with 20 points.