When the University of Hawaii’s basketball team stunned Michigan State 84-62 in the 2005 season opener for both teams, upset was the right word to describe it in more ways than one.
The Spartans were the preseason No. 4 team in the country, so this was a monumental victory for UH, unexpected by most. And Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was livid afterward — with the fans at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Some among the 8,802 booed as Michigan State player Shannon Brown lay on the court with 6:36 left in the game and Hawaii leading by 17.
“When they were booing, that kid was in absolute pain from his neck to his feet,” Izzo said. “I’ll be honest with you, that was the maddest I’ve ever been as a basketball coach since I’ve been in college.”
After several minutes, Brown was removed from the court on a stretcher. He was one of several of the visiting players to complain of cramps.
“Don’t make that the story,” Izzo added. “We didn’t play well. They played well. They deserve the credit they get. The fans deserve the insult I’m giving them.”
Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said he understood Izzo’s displeasure, but also noted that Hawaii fans are “classy,” and cheered Brown “when he got up and left the court.”
Wallace added that the fans who booed thought MSU was “delaying the game because we were running hot.”
Indeed, the ’Bows were hot.
They took a 13-10 lead early, and pulled away with a balanced attack, hitting from inside and out.
Matt Lojeski and Julian Sensley scored 20 points apiece to lead UH in Wallace’s 300th career victory as Hawaii head coach. Lojeski, in his Hawaii debut, hit on six-of-eight shots from 3-point range. Sensley added five assists, and Ahmet Gueye was deadly in the low post with 13 points on six-of-seven shooting.
Hawaii went 17-11 in 2005-06. It was the seventh of eight consecutive winning campaigns to close out Wallace’s 20-season tenure at the ’Bows helm, but UH missed the postseason. Michigan State finished 22-12 after losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
