Somberly, sports return to NIU
DEKALB -- For more than a minute Tuesday night, absolute silence reigned in the Convocation Center.
As every player, coach, trainer and manager for Northern Illinois and Western Michigan linked arms in a circle at midcourt -- their heads bowed and most eyes closed -- the names of the five victims of the Feb. 14 shootings appeared on the scoreboard above them.
When the last of the five names disappeared from the Daktonics screen, public-address announcer Brad Hoey tried to break the silence.
His emotions got the better of him.
"Thank you," Hoey said, his voice cracking.
His words came across over the PA so quietly, the teams remained linked and the 2,032 in the house remained silent until Hoey gathered himself and repeated it more firmly.
Then the pep band played a stark, dirge-like version of the alma mater as several in the stands sung the rewritten words urging the community to "let our tears fall one by one and heal NIU."
With that somber mood-setter, it took time for everyone to devote their full energies toward winning a Mid-American Conference game.
While students in the Red Riot section held up a massive "HUSKIES for HOKIES" sign, NIU needed more than five minutes to crack the scoreboard.
"It was a little weird at first," said Huskies junior guard Jarvis Nichols. "We didn't know whether to clap or what actually we were supposed to do."
The Huskies' smothering defense enabled them to lead for most of the second half, but Western Michigan dominated the final five minutes to earn a 56-49 victory in a game postponed nine days because of the shootings.
The Broncos (17-10, 10-3) clinched their third MAC West title in five years but took little joy in the achievement. There was no on-court celebration and muted cheers in their locker room afterward.
"I know any competitive juices weren't there," said Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins. "Probably, maybe, the last 5-10 minutes, it had more of a normal feel."
Northern Illinois (6-18, 3-9), which hadn't played in two weeks, scored its fewest points since the season opener Nov. 9.
The Huskies shot 35 percent, several attempts missing the rim entirely, and committed 21 turnovers. They surrendered 18 of the game's final 23 points.
And NIU coach Ricardo Patton couldn't have been much prouder of his guys for playing with "great passion."
"That was our biggest goal," Patton said. "To just come out and represent the university in such a manner that they would be proud.
"In the scheme of things, it never ever really matters (whether you win). But when you go out and have a chance to compete, you always want to be successful. But we certainly realize that there more important things in life than winning and losing basketball games.
"Again, my heart still goes out to the families. To me, this is still about the families. It's not about our team. My heart goes out to the parents that have their quiet moments and have to think about the loved ones that they lost."