Top 10 UWM Athletics Games of All-Time

[PantherU]

Hey guys, I'm putting together a list of the "Top 10 Greatest UWM Games of All-Time." I got the idea at Miller Time Pub when Paul and I were talking about the best men's basketball games.

I plan on publishing it in the final Post of the semester, but I thought it was a good idea to get started. I have been combing the histories of all the programs, or at least what is in the media guides (which I believe is everything they have) and have come up with only a few.

I'm interested in what you guys can come up with past what I have, especially for men's basketball, because most people here can say something worthwhile on that sport. I don't want to end up with a list of 5 men's basketball games and 5 others, but I can live with 3 m b-ball games, 4 if they truly need to be included in the Top 10.

Here's what I have, you guys can weigh in. No particular order, haven't decided if I will rank them or not. Obviously, I came up with more than 10. Negate them if you think they aren't worth the list. In parenthesis, there's a little background on the game.

Baseball beats #1 ranked Rice in 1999 NCAA tournament (Only win over top ranked team in program history)

Women's basketball defeats UIC in 2006 HL championship (First NCAA tourney since 2001, UIC had large fan base at game)

Women's basketball defeats Green Bay in 2005-06 regular season (takes first place from perennial powerhouse, men's team rushes the court)

Men's Basketball over Butler in 2003 HL championship (You all know this, first NCAA tourney, Clay Tucker kills)

Men and Women swimming sweep Bill Ritter Invitational (First win for the host Panthers in 7-8 years)

Men's Soccer vs. MU, Sept 13, 2006 (First night game at Engelmann, triumph over downtown tyrants, former coach Bennett)

Men's Soccer beats Oakland, Nov. 23, 2002 (First NCAA Tourney Win)

Men's Basketball over Alabama, 2005 (First Tourney Win)

Men's Basketball over Butler, 2001? (Upset at Hinkle)

Men's Basketball over UDM, 2005 HL championship (AT's two free throws seal the deal)

Men's Basketball over Boston College, 2005 (First Sweet Sixteen)

Women's Basketball over Green Bay, 2001 (MCC championship, First D-I tourney)

I don't want to ignore any sports, but if a few sports get left off (inevitable), so be it.

If I decide to do one of individual performances, this is what I have:

Men's Basketball against Illinois, 2005 - Joah Tucker, 31 Points (#1 overall UI-UC)

Men's Basketball against Illinois, 1990-91 - Von McDade, 50 points

Women's Basketball over CSU, 2007 - Traci Edwards, 42 points

[Hack]

blackpantheruwm said:

Men's Basketball over Butler, 2001? (Upset at Hinkle)

Actually, it was in 2002 ... the 01-02 season. Tucker's game-winning shot.

You may want to include women's basketball beating No. 13 Nebraska, 88-76, at home in Dec. 1997.

[Deleted]

Cory Peterson. Best athlete ever at UWM. Better move this two time All-American to the top of the list.

[PantherU]

ghostoffreak said:

Cory Peterson. Best athlete ever at UWM. Better move this two time All-American to the top of the list.

Sport? Years?

[Deleted]

Sport? Track
Years? 1990s

[GVD]

Men's Basketball over UDM, 2005 HL championship (AT's two free throws seal the deal)

AT missed the first free throw but hit the second ;D

[pantherdon]

The free throw hardly sealled the deal.
Detroit came down with 4.2 seconds on the clock and Cotton Floated a miss, much like the end of the Cleveland State game this year.

Bruce Pearl said something after the game like,
Sometimes we can do everything wrong and still manage to win.

Coincidently, That game had the largest crowd in UWM History with 10,254 fans in attendence.

[Kingsbury]

I think you may need to do a little more research. This list can't only include games from 1999 to current. Talk to some old timers such as BB Fran or Larry Reed. What are the criteria for great games? For example, does a buzzer beater - Cy Caldwell's 3 pointer that upsets UWGB 59-57 in 1999 trump, lets say the 1992 Mens basketball win at Wisconsin? Does Clay Tucker becoming the all time leading scorer for UWM by dropping 40 on Wight State make the list?

[Hack]

kingsbury said:

For example, does a buzzer beater - Cy Caldwell's 3 pointer that upsets UWGB 59-57 in 1999

Good call... can't believe I didn't think of that. I still remember Cy hitting that shot then running over and standing on the media table.

That's the problem with all-time lists ... the past gets over-looked too many times.

[pnthr30]

What about the lone road victory over Loyola in 1994/1995?

[milfan]

Mike Goetz UWM Baseball 06 :was a First Team All-American while leading the nation with a .493 batting average and .579 on-base percentage . Named Horizon League Player of the Year and to the all-league first team ... set school records in average, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, walks and on-base percentage. Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball Draft, spent the summer with the Arizona Brewers, the club's rookie affiliate, hit .289, including .369 the final month,and led the league with 30 stolen bases.

[Deleted]

Jimmy, figure out who Cory Peterson is yet? There is more to UWM athletics than basketball, and I hope the UWM Post soon realizes that. You have already missed plenty of great performances in track and field, far better than the very poor season the men's basketball team is having.

[pnthr97]

Due to the more recent success of the men's basketball program, the 1992-93 season has become a bit more irrelevant, but two games that season - the win at Madison (UWM's only win against UW) and the win at home against a very good (NCAA tourney bound) UWGB team - really helped put this program back on the map. Now, between then and Bo Ryan becoming the head coach, there wasn't much to talk about. But those two games definitely stand out in my mind.

[dylanrocks]

By grouping all the sports together, you're probably tackling an impossible task.

Here's one for the list: The March, 1997 men's basketball victory over Wright State, the program's first postseason victory in NCAA Division 1.

Joah, by the way, had 32 points in the Sweet 16 loss at Illinois. How about Adrian's career-high 27-point performance in his final game as a collegiate player against Florida? How about Clay Tucker's buzzer-beater to beat host Central Michigan in his first game as a collegian?

[mcdadenets50]

pnthr97 said:

Due to the more recent success of the men's basketball program, the 1992-93 season has become a bit more irrelevant, but two games that season - the win at Madison (UWM's only win against UW) and the win at home against a very good (NCAA tourney bound) UWGB team - really helped put this program back on the map. Now, between then and Bo Ryan becoming the head coach, there wasn't much to talk about. But those two games definitely stand out in my mind.

Yes, the win at UW (77 - 72) on Saturday, December 13, 1992 was HUGE and the victory over Dick and Tony Bennett's team at the Mecca on Saturday, January 13, 1993 was electric (attendance: 8,631).

Props to Craig Greene, Ray Perine, Eugene Sims, Marc Mitchell, Pat Easterlin, Byron Jackson, Mark Briggs, Corey Statham, Tim Ricks, and Coach Steve Antrim.

UW coach Stu Jackson after the loss to UWM: "We faced a team that wanted it more than we did. They played with such a big heart and so much intensity that it was a pleasure to watch them play. I just really admired the way they played. Guys with hearts. Fighting people."

Any top 10 list needs at least to include this UWM victory, if not the GB game as well.