Sept. 12, 2005
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Horizon League Monday (Sept. 12) released its 72-game men's basketball conference-only schedule for the upcoming 2005-06 season.
The League slate will tip-off Wednesday, Dec. 7, when Wright State University hosts the University of Detroit Mercy. Three other games dot the December calendar, including the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay at arch-rival and defending champion University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dec. 17, before league competition begins in earnest the first week of January. Other early-season games are Loyola University Chicago at Cleveland State University Dec. 29 and Youngstown State University at the University of Illinois at Chicago on New Year's Eve Dec. 31. Butler University opens its League schedule Jan. 2 by hosting UIC.
Last season the Panthers won their second consecutive regular-season title and then advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with victories over the University of Alabama and Boston College, finishing the historic campaign with a 26-6 overall record.
The regular-season schedule will conclude with four games on Feb. 25. Earlier that final week Milwaukee will play host to Detroit at U.S. Cellular Arena in a re-match of last year's tournament championship game won by the Panthers 59-58 on Adrian Tigert's free throw with 4.2 seconds remaining.
The 2006 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship will begin with three opening-round games on Feb. 28 and continue with the quarterfinals and semifnals March 3-4 hosted by the regular-season champion. The championship game will be played March 7 at the higher remaining seed and be televised live on ESPN at 9 p.m. EST. 2005-06 Horizon League Men's Basketball Conference Schedule December Wed. 7 Detroit at Wright State Sat. 17 UW-Green Bay at UW-Milwaukee Thurs. 29 Loyola at Cleveland State Sat. 31 Youngstown State at UIC January Mon. 2 UIC at Butler Cleveland State at UW-Milwaukee UW-Green Bay at Detroit Youngstown State at Loyola Thurs. 5 Wright State at Cleveland State Loyola at Detroit UW-Milwaukee at UIC UW-Green Bay at Youngstown State Sat. 7 Butler at UW-Milwaukee Youngstown State at Detroit Loyola at Wright State Wed. 11 Loyola at UW-Milwaukee UIC at UW-Green Bay Thurs. 12 Detroit at Cleveland State Wright State at Youngstown State Sat. 14 Detroit at Butler Cleveland State at Youngstown State UIC at Loyola UW-Milwaukee at UW-Green Bay Wed. 18 UW-Milwaukee at Detroit Thurs. 19 Butler at Loyola Cleveland State at UIC Wright State UW-Green Bay Sat. 21 Butler at Youngstown State Cleveland State at UW-Green Bay UIC at Detroit Wright State at UW-Milwaukee Wed. 25 Butler at Cleveland State UIC at Wright State Thurs. 26 UW-Green Bay at Loyola UW-Milwaukee at Youngstown State Sat. 28 Wright State at Butler Youngstown State at Cleveland State Detroit at Loyola UW-Green Bay at UIC Mon. 30 Butler at UIC Detroit at UW-Green Bay UW-Milwaukee at Loyola Youngstown State at Wright State February Thurs. 2 UW-Green Bay at Butler Cleveland State at Detroit UIC at Youngstown State UW-Milwaukee at Wright State Sat. 4 UW-Milwaukee at Butler Cleveland State at Loyola Detroit at UIC UW-Green Bay at Wright State Wed. 8 Cleveland State at Butler Wright State at Detroit Loyola at UW-Green Bay Thurs. 9 Youngstown State at UW-Milwaukee Sat. 11 Butler at Wright State UW-Milwaukee at Cleveland State Loyola at UIC Youngstown State at UW-Green Bay Mon. 13 Butler at UW-Green Bay Wed. 15 Cleveland State at Wright State Detroit at Youngstown State UIC at UW-Milwaukee Thurs. 16 Loyola at Butler Sat. 18 ESPN BRACKET BUSTER SATURDAY Tues. 21 Detroit at UW-Milwaukee Wed. 22 Youngstown State at Butler UIC at Cleveland State Wright State at Loyola Sat. 25 Butler at Detroit UW-Green Bay at Cleveland State Loyola at Youngstown State Wright State at UIC Tues. 28 Horizon League Championship First Round (#9 at #4, #8 at #5, #7 at #6) March Fri. 3 Horizon League Championship Quarterfinals (at No. 1 seed; #7/6 winner vs. #3, #9/4 winner vs. #8/5 winner) Sat. 4 Horizon League Championship Semifinals (at No. 1 seed; #7/6/3 winner vs. #2, #9/4/8/5 winner vs. #1) Tues. 7 Horizon League Championship Game (at higher remaining seed; ESPN-9 p.m. EST)