theeagleman5 Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 Hard to believe that we are just 4 months away from the 50th anniversary of the first ORU basketball game at Mabee Center....as a young 18 year old freshman, TheEagleman walked into the brand new Mabee Center that night with great anticipation to watch Top 20 ORU take on Top 20 Wisconsin in front of a packed arena of over 10,500 fans.....I can remember sitting with my wingmates making a ton of noise and doing a lot of Titan Trains as the Titans whipped the Badgers in the season opener....anybody else on this board in attendance that night and have any memories of that game?.....and here we are almost 50 years later and Mabee is newly renovated and from what I hear looking better than ever.....Mabee Center was state of the art back in 1972 and a HUGE upgrade from the old HRC which is now long gone from the scene......50 years....geez.....time sure flies.... 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keenan Henderson Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 That is a good point you bring up, Eagleman, about the 50-year anniversary of the Mabee Center. Wonder if ORU has a game scheduled for around that time to celebrate the anniversary? This year December 4th is on a Sunday but maybe they could schedule a home game for Saturday December 3rd and celebrate the event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 Final score was 90-76 in a game that from memory was a bit closer than the final score indicated....ORU trailed in the first half but ended up pulling away in the 2nd..... Badgers came in highly touted but checking the records from 1972-73 ended up having a disappointing season at 9-17 so this didn't end up being a signature win that OR had hoped for in the inaugural game at Mabee....probably our best win that season was during Christmas break at home vs. Texas A&M....unfortunately, TheEagleman was home in Philly and didn't see that one.....the story goes that President Roberts really wanted a BIG TIME school to open Mabee Center vs. his Titans and personally called John Wooden at UCLA to try and twist his arm for a visit.....Coach Wooden clearly declined.....TheEagleman always wanted to ask OR about that but never got the chance....perhaps old Timers like OT and ORUTerry could shed some light on that..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 Wow!!...thanks for the great pic, Alum!!....TheEagleman was seated just to the left behind the basket in the first few rows of gold seats....Also in that photo is #24 Richard Fuqua, and appears to be #35 Al Boswell and #34 John Patterson..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Connor Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 I remember being part of the thunderous roar of students during those 1972 Mabee Center games. But one thrill that ORU's original gym had over the Mabee Center was sitting in the front row of the bleachers two feet away from Richard Fuqua as he released one of his signature bombs just inches from the out-of-bounds line. It's because of his performances in the old gym that he is called "The Man Who Built the Mabee Center!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 Geez those were fun nights at Mabee Center...getting there early to get a seat close to the floor in the student section around 5:30pm after an early SAGA dinner.....watching the JV game first then the ORU Varsity would come out on the court to the band playing Glory Bound by the Grass Roots.....I can remember the 2nd game vs. Idaho State being a runaway but the visitors made it closer late.....then the 3rd game vs. Murray State was a real nail biter close to the end and the Racers actually had a chance to win but the Titans held them off 79-78......most of those early games were packed houses or close to it.....everybody wanted to experience the new Mabee Center at ORU.....and OR was at the top of his game also sitting at center court midway up in the gold seats with his lovely bride Evelyn....Oral would stand up and raise his hands if there were any boos heard.....he just wouldn't allow it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 39 minutes ago, theeagleman5 said: Geez those were fun nights at Mabee Center...getting there early to get a seat close to the floor in the student section around 5:30pm after an early SAGA dinner.....watching the JV game first then the ORU Varsity would come out on the court to the band playing Glory Bound by the Grass Roots.....I can remember the 2nd game vs. Idaho State being a runaway but the visitors made it closer late.....then the 3rd game vs. Murray State was a real nail biter close to the end and the Racers actually had a chance to win but the Titans held them off 79-78......most of those early games were packed houses or close to it.....everybody wanted to experience the new Mabee Center at ORU.....and OR was at the top of his game also sitting at center court midway up in the gold seats with his lovely bride Evelyn....Oral would stand up and raise his hands if there were any boos heard.....he just wouldn't allow it...... here's where those screen grabs came from....the ORU library has a database of the Oracle if you care to continue your stroll down memory lane.... https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/oracle/index.3.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 Great Stuff, Alum....and you will find some articles by TheEagleman in those old Oracles..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUIllini Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 4 hours ago, Keenan Henderson said: That is a good point you bring up, Eagleman, about the 50-year anniversary of the Mabee Center. Wonder if ORU has a game scheduled for around that time to celebrate the anniversary? This year December 4th is on a Sunday but maybe they could schedule a home game for Saturday December 3rd and celebrate the event. Seems like a great opportunity to schedule a game around that time to celebrate the Mabee Center and ORU basketball history by bringing back some sweet retro uni's with the flame!! Come on Nike! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 2, 2022 Author Share Posted August 2, 2022 Ahhhh....wonderful pics of that initial game a Mabee Center and so many memories....TheEagleman has to get back there this upcoming season and it's on my bucket list....so many great moments in that building....and some heartache (Kansas/March 1974).... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleManiac Posted August 2, 2022 Share Posted August 2, 2022 17 hours ago, ORUIllini said: Seems like a great opportunity to schedule a game around that time to celebrate the Mabee Center and ORU basketball history by bringing back some sweet retro uni's with the flame!! Come on Nike! If our alternate jerseys this year aren't retro (belt included please) and they opt for the garbage gold jerseys again, I don't know what I'll do. I may lose my mind and renounce my allegiance and become a Golden Hurricane. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 2, 2022 Author Share Posted August 2, 2022 Turning Golden Hurricane is going a bit too far but understand the desire to bring back the retro uniforms with the flame for the 50th anniversary of Mabee Center.....hard to believe a half a century has gone by......we used to go watch some Titan Basketball then out to Shotgun Sam's Pizza afterwards with the wing mates....ahhhh.....such wonderful memories..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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