When was the last big home win? Your favorite home win?

[Mike9904111]

Georgetown and Cuse in the dream season were my favorite home wins, we stepped on to the big stage

Florida in 13/14 was our last really big home win. Billy Donovan called us lucky, we got to end his dreams in the national semis just a few months later. Think he stopped talking

Yes. They were a solid team and that turned out to be a big win and a great season! The best part about that season, not just that game was it was unexpected. I really hoped we could win a couple of games in the tournament but winning it all had me on cloud 9 for a couple of years.

 

[ucp990411]

We were the home team on 3/29/99 so that is my #1. The trop is a home away from home. Although the Georgetown game in 1990 was a true home game and it is the best.

 

[Guapo]

Texas 2010

 

[XLCenterFan]

Just to make sure, in a thread titled "Your favorite home win?", we have one mention of a game where UConn got smoked and another where they won but a couple of states away, do I have that right?

I'd like to nominate the 1997 NIT game against VCU. They put seats in the Field House where they never put seats before. It was incredibly loud and intimidating.

You have that right. Message boards are like conversations, in that they meander, and people sometimes mention things that are loosely related to the topic...and that's OK.
Also, some people would argue that playing an NCAA tourney game in NYC vs. UCONN makes that a home game for UCONN. I know that Calhoun called our loss to George Mason in D.C. a home game for them.
That being said, it must have been a sweet atmosphere in that field house for VCU. I looked it up and found an article that mentions it. A great read.
NIT: 25 Years Ago, UConn, Jim Calhoun Sat On Top Of A Different World

 

[gtcam]

When Wes B scored 40 plus in win over Maine to become the #1 PPG sorer in the nation at the time

But in times when 90% of posters here are alive, I agree with the Texas walloping - completely unready for that and Gampel was shaking!!!

 

[ZenConn]

'10 Texas game. The entire place was rockin' especially after the ally to Stanley. The good guys were down most of the game but with the fans going nuts the entire game, it didn't seem like it.

 

[XLCenterFan]

'10 Texas game. The entire place was rockin' especially after the ally to Stanley. The good guys were down most of the game but with the fans going nuts the entire game, it didn't seem like it.

And let's not forget the steal and dunk by Donnell Beverly! We need more steals followed by dunks followed by Big Red.

 

[UConnSean]

Not a win, but Gampel was absolutely rockin' for the last loss of 2011 against ND on Senior Day. The student section was as loud as ever when Ben Hansbrough fouled out that afternoon

 

[Waquoit]

Not a win, but Gampel was absolutely rockin' for the last loss of 2011 against ND on Senior Day. The student section was as loud as ever when Ben Hansbrough fouled out that afternoon

No sale! Gampel was like a morgue for most of that game. Juiceless.

 

[AdamaNation]

Georgetown and Cuse in the dream season were my favorite home wins, we stepped on to the big stage

Florida in 13/14 was our last really big home win. Billy Donovan called us lucky, we got to end his dreams in the national semis just a few months later. Think he stopped talking

He also let us dribble out the 2-3 minutes cause you couldn’t foul us!!!

 

[Wordbomar]

Villanova in 2011 was a unbelieveable atmosphere. Syracuse in 2012 was at gampel was a madhouse too... but that game didn’t end so well.

 

[Matrim55]

I wasn't born yet when this happened. However, my dad who has been a fan since 81 and hasn't missed many home games since the 88 NIT team always ranks this game #1. Says there isn't any home games that comes close to it.

He's right. Georgetown at that point was a cross between Darth Vader and what UK's been this decade. We'd often played well against Syracuse, St. John's and Villanova through the '80s, but G'Town just killed us. KILLED us.

And then that game. The No. 1 team had lost the previous day (Kansas, I think?) and Georgetown, who were No. 2, were a lock to be No. 1 the following week. They were huge, good and mean. There was a blizzard, which made the whole thing surreal.

And then there was the game. I think that was the happiest I ever saw my dad about a sporting event.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Villanova in 2011 was a unbelieveable atmosphere. Syracuse in 2012 was at gampel was a madhouse too... but that game didn’t end so well.

I remember that 2012 Cuse game. Normally fans in CT are on their best behavior, but this might have been the only time I saw a brief skirmish in the stands/walking area at Gampel between UCONN students and visiting Cuse fans. Some Cuse fans thought they could walk over to the UCONN student section and run their mouths before the game. Security and police ended it before it escalated, but I remember thinking that someone was going to get arrested.

 

[Excalibur]

Favorites:

Nova '96
Stanford '98 (the first time we saw the maximum potential of the Rip/KFree/KEA core. A lot of people thought Stanford would push us around with their size, but our defense was so stifling that Stanford was running their offense 25-30 feet from the hoop).
MSU '99
Miami '02 (underrated game against a good ranked Miami team. We blew a late lead, Selvie gets fouled with us down 1 and about 5 seconds left. We're praying for him to make 1 to tie. He drains both, Miami turns it over, and we steal a win)
Texas 2010
UF 2014

Most recent: Probably SMU in 2015.

 

[Orioles]

Just to make sure, in a thread titled "Your favorite home win?", we have one mention of a game where UConn got smoked and another where they won but a couple of states away, do I have that right?

I'd like to nominate the 1997 NIT game against VCU. They put seats in the Field House where they never put seats before. It was incredibly loud and intimidating.

O, I Agree. Loudest Uconn Game I ever attended. My Ears were still ringing the next morning. Jeff King Player of the Game, may he Rest in Peace.

 

[WhiteDressWes]

This was the best home win we've ever had, and the best we ever will have. This was our arrival.

All around me in Section 103, men were crying when we knew we had it won.

 

[XLCenterFan]

I just watched the last 5 minutes of that Georgetown game from 1990. Awesome. I was 8 and couldn't comprehend the magnitude of that win. Look what that win, as well as the players who came before that produced. At one point I could see into the rafters...there were zero banners.

 

[CL82]

When my father started bringing me to games I was like 5...that was 1987. I couldn't comprehend the idea of a "program being built," but I knew I was experiencing something that everyone was super excited about. I was at many of those early BE games and couldn't even appreciate it!

l was at the NIT game at Gampel vs. Jackson State (1993), who had Lyndsay Hunter...when Gampel didn't have the 4 sections in the upper corners - they had some decorative banners hanging in the corners and added seats later.

I remember playing Georgetown when we had Price and Thabeet and both teams were ranked top 5 in the nation. I had just moved out on my own and was basically broke (2007), and tix were sold out and going for $100 on the street. My buddy and I drank and watched the 1st half at Mayor Mike's, and then snuck into the Civic Center/XL (not sure when the name changed) at half time through the doors of the smoking section.

Beating a tough, ranked West Virginia team in Hartford and Bobby Huggins got tossed by the zebra late in the game. The place went nuts.

handle/post

 

[CL82]

"Every time I see that picture, I get goosebumps," coach Jim Calhoun says, "and when I see the guys from that team, I tell them, 'You're the ones who got this whole thing going.' … And we haven't had a losing season since."

[Cough, cough.]

Seriously this is a great article with so many great quotes and moments.

"Cliff and I were called to meet with Coach Calhoun in the old field house," Gamble remembers, "and he said, 'I'm going to build this team around you two.' When he finished talking, I said, 'OK, man,' and he said, 'Son, don't ever call me "man" again. Call me "Coach," or "Jim Calhoun," but never "man" again.' That set the tone right there. We walked out, and Cliff said, 'I'm not transferring.' I said, 'I'm not transferring.'"

Then came a big break. The Civic Center wasn't available, but no one else in the tournament had an arena available, either, so the NIT folks, who re-seeded the brackets after every round, sent Virginia Commonwealth to the old field house in Storrs for the quarterfinals on March 25.
"Do we like the field house?" VCU coach Mike Pollio said after the Rams practiced there the day before the game. "That's like saying, 'Does Hitler like Russian winters?'"

The players got back to campus in the middle of the night, but students were out in full force and a bonfire was waiting for them. "It must have been 4 a.m.," Economou said, "and it seemed like there were 5,000 people out there. The next morning, we were all tired, but I got to class and I got a standing ovation in my history class, and I didn't play a minute in the championship game."

 

[Waquoit]

O, I Agree. Loudest Uconn Game I ever attended. My Ears were still ringing the next morning. Jeff King Player of the Game, may he Rest in Peace.

I was so happy Jeff was able to have a game like that before he graduated. He was the difference, VCU coach Mike Pollio even said so.

 

[nashusky109]

One of my favorites was the Nova game in 2011 where Kemba hit floater to win. Gampel was rocking that game. That game was so evenly matched I think Nova was #7 in the country we were #8. Great game.

I’m pretty sure this game was part of the big Monday lineup on ESPN. It was also the first game back from winter break so the student section was ready to go. A large group of friends pregamed in South before walking over and getting wild at the game. I remember it was one of the first times I watched kemba in person and was in awe. He became one of my favorite athletes after watching that game. Crowd was amazing all game.

 

[gampelcrazies]

I’m pretty sure this game was part of the big Monday lineup on ESPN. It was also the first game back from winter break so the student section was ready to go. A large group of friends pregamed in South before walking over and getting wild at the game. I remember it was one of the first times I watched kemba in person and was in awe. He became one of my favorite athletes after watching that game. Crowd was amazing all game.

I think it was part of a special MLK Big Monday. I remember the game starting in the afternoon and leading up to other games.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

The Gampel opener against St. John’s was a memorable one for me. I find my old brain just doesn’t remember specific games well anymore.

Ditto. The Gampel opener game for me as well. Student at the time.
Any games I remember outside of that one likely were played in a tournament setting. Regular season games are frequently blurry.

 

[VKong]

Feb 26, 2006 - UConn/Nova, both ranked in top 5 and they had just beat us a couple weeks before. This was my last game as a student. Few months later on graduation day, my parents got me framed wide shot from that game with me and some friends clearly visible. I remember Rudy coming out for warm ups hyping the student section up, great W!

 

[Caronimo]

Michigan State at the Garden in 2014... after all, that is our home, right? The atmosphere was insane.

In all honesty, the most recent game I recall at home was in 2011 at the XL Center against Georgetown. It was just a lot of fun. Kemba went off the backboard to himself and the crowd went nuts. So many memorable home wins, but that stands out for some reason. Also 2011 final vs. Loserville at the garden.