Pitt Basketball Game In Japan Cancelled At Halftime
OAKLAND (KDKA) -- The Pitt Men's basketball team made the long journey to Japan, only to have their game cut short Friday night.
Pitt was playing Gonzaga at Camp Foster, a marine base in Okinawa, when dangerous court conditions prompted refs to call off the game.
The humid conditions on the court created moisture on the surface, and players started slipping and sliding. Pitt's James Robinson fell and cut his face.
"We are disappointed to not be able to finish the game but the tournament officials made the right call," said head coach Jamie Dixon. "We want to thank all of the servicemen and women who came out to support the two teams and this event. I am proud of the way our guys competed and more importantly how they represented the University of Pittsburgh on this trip."
Pitt fans, meanwhile, gathered to watch the game in Oakland.
The student body put together a watch party at the Petersen Events Center, knowing it was a unique experience for the team. They got to watch half a game before the ref called it.
"We're watching it, we're talking about, should they keep playing? Should we keep doing this?" Pitt student Eric Floyd said. "Would we want them to call it? And I kind of wanted them to, ahead of time, and now that they've actually done it, I don't like it."
"Y'know, once James Robinson fell and he had an inch cut on his face, I mean, he was bleeding," Pitt student Ian Maxwell said, "and after that, everyone's just taking half-steps. They were slipping all over the place. At that point, they might as well be ice skating."
Rescheduling the game is obviously not an option in Japan. The Pitt basketball team left Japan Friday night and will return home Sunday morning. The team has a game at home on Tuesday against St. Joseph's University.
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