James Madison University men's basketball accomplished a feat seldom done in the history of the sport when the squad went into East Lansing Monday night and beat Michigan State.

James Madison came away with a 79-76 win over the no. 4 Michigan State Spartans. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Michigan State is the first Associated Press top-5 team to lose its season opener at home against an unranked opponent since 2001, when Kentucky bowed to Western Kentucky.

Following the game, James Madison head coach Mark Byington was absolutely ecstatic about what his club accomplished.

“I didn't know what to expect,” Byington said on Big Ten Network after the game was over. “It was our first game and we're playing against one of the best teams in the country, in one of the best environments in the country. And I was proud of our guys. … They just never gave in.”

The game was a stunning defeat for Michigan State, who is a favorite to go to the Final Four this season. The team returns four starters from last year's team that went to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Michigan State also has a stellar freshman class. Following the game, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo expressed his frustration with his group.

“”I give [James Madison] a lot of credit,” Izzo said, per ESPN. “They came in here and they played harder than us. They played stronger than us. Made some good plays.”

Another interesting angle in the game is that Tom Izzo's nephew Matt Bucklin is actually an assistant coach at James Madison. One wonders if Bucklin bought Izzo a drink after the game was over.

James Madison is a Sun Belt program that won its second-ever game over a ranked opponent. It had lost 42 of its previous 43 matchups against ranked opponents, according to ESPN Stats & Information. It was the first time since 1986 that Michigan State basketball lost at home in November, per ESPN.