Stan Sheriff Center: Hawaii basketball started 2005 cramping Michigan State’s style
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo tried to compliment the University of Hawaii team that had just romped over his squad, 84-62, in the 2005 season-opener for both. But he did not have kind words for the fans at the Stan Sheriff Center.
“That’s the maddest I’ve ever been as a coach in college,” Izzo said.
The source of his displeasure was some fans booing when MSU player Shannon Brown — one of four Spartans reported to have left the game due to cramps — was down on the court for several minutes late in the second half, delaying continuation of the game. Brown was eventually removed on a stretcher.
UH coach Riley Wallace defended the fans, saying they thought Brown was not injured and was trying to do what Michigan State could not while the teams were on the court: Slow down the ‘Bows.
Hawaii led the fourth-ranked team from nearly from start to finish, with Julian Sensley and Matt Lojeski leading the scoring with 20 points each.
It was some revenge served cold, coming just two weeks shy of 10 years since Michigan State shocked undefeated Hawaii in a women’s volleyball regional final, at the same venue.
Wallace’s 300th career victory is a much sweeter memory for UH fans, and is No. 6 in the Star-Advertiser’s countdown of top ten sports events in the first 25 years of the Stan Sheriff Center.
Please correct, or refresh, my bad memory, but was that the one where Izzo (or whomever else) made his team walk back to their hotel in Waikiki after the loss?
I don’t know if that happened, but you might be thinking of Bobby Knight not riding the bus back to the hotel with his team after UH beat them. He walked back.
You be right Dave. Credit my bad memory.