Having been fortunate enough to attend the last two games in 1978 and '79 when Indiana State visited as a ranked team -- No. 4 in '78, No. 1 in '79 -- I thought it was time to take a trip in the Way-Back Machine. If you attended those games -- both classics -- I'd also enjoy hearing your memories if you were there.
Both games were packed, with people who didn't have seats sitting in the aisles and standing in the areas around the bleachers on the second level. I believe the all-time attendance record set at the '79 game -- 10,307 -- still stands and probably will stand forever with Banterra Center's capacity what it is now.
Led by Larry Bird, the Sycamores entered both games undefeated. The '78 game, when I was a freshman, remains one of my fondest-ever SIU sports memories. Nobody expected us to win it because we were barely over .500 at the time and hadn't been especially impressive (in the previous game, also at home, we had to come back from a big deficit to beat a weak Tulsa team in the closing minutes). But we built a big early lead in the first half before Bird rallied the Sycamores. He had 38 points, but didn't get a lot of help. It was close throughout the second half, but Wayne Abrams was great for us and Milt Huggins was hot from the outside, and we made enough big plays down the stretch to win it. Final: SIU 79, ISU 76. Abrams scored 22, Huggins had 18 and Gary Wilson added 16. Just a terrific all-around performance, and I recall a lot of partying late into the night.
The hype for the '79 game was incredible with the Sycamores ranked No. 1 The Chicago papers sent reporters, and a few national basketball writers also were there. It certainly was the loudest home game in my four years in school. I recall that we spent most of the night playing from behind -- ISU led by seven at halftime -- and although we made a few runs in the second half to make it close, ISU always responded (I can't recall if we ever led). Bird had an off shooting night and scored just 20, but with 13 rebounds and six assists. And Carl Nicks, the Sycamores' top guard, played the game of his life. It was anybody's game in the final minute, but ISU kept coming through in the clutch. I also seem to recall Gottfried using some gimmick zone defense late in the game and ISU solving it easily (Gottfried was in his first season but had been an unpopular hire and already was on a lot of fans' defecation lists). The final was 69-68, and everyone left the arena asking "What if?"
Found much of this information from these games through digital issues of the Daily Egyptian, and the ISUBlue website still has a box score of the '79 game on file. Otherwise, a lot the memories have become fuzzy over the years, so feel free to point out errors and omissions.
I was at both games. Had season tickets a couple rows behind the basket with my Dad. We had a chance to win in 79 but Bird rebounded an ISU missed free throw with about 10 seconds left up by 1 to seal the win. I seem to recall he had 20 points and 20 rebounds that game, but I might be mistaken with the stats you listed above. I also remember Howard Cosell talking about the game on his radio show the next morning. It was a great game and great atmosphere. They had a good team besides Bird. Carl Nicks was an outstanding guard. SIU was about a .500 team in 79 and played below their talent. Wayne Abrams and Barry Smith were tall, talented guards and we had a supporting cast. The last of the Herm Williams/Paul Lambert recruits. We should have been better.
I was at both games. Had season tickets a couple rows behind the basket with my Dad. We had a chance to win in 79 but Bird rebounded an ISU missed free throw with about 10 seconds left up by 1 to seal the win. I seem to recall he had 20 points and 20 rebounds that game, but I might be mistaken with the stats you listed above. I also remember Howard Cosell talking about the game on his radio show the next morning. It was a great game and great atmosphere. They had a good team besides Bird. Carl Nicks was an outstanding guard. SIU was about a .500 team in 79 and played below their talent. Wayne Abrams and Barry Smith were tall, talented guards and we had a supporting cast. The last of the Herm Williams/Paul Lambert recruits. We should have been better.
It was mostly downhill for the program after the '79 game. The most memorable basketball highlight of my junior and senior years probably was when Barry Smith finally dunked for the first and only time in the closing minutes of his final home game.
My memory of 79 is a Bird dagger from the far (west?) corner. It looked like Gottfried had zero control of the team.
