Gonzaga and Pitt tried to play on a temporary court at Camp Foster in Okinawa, Japan as part of the Armed Forces Classic. But as the game progressed, the court itself became a major problem. The court was too slippery, leading to a referees’ decision to end the game:
Gonzaga-Pitt game at military base in Japan called due to slippery playing surface
Pitt was leading Gonzaga 37-35 at halftime when the game was called due to players repeatedly slipping.
That was Pitt guard James Robinson, who opened a huge cut on his right cheek trying to stop in transition. He was the only player injured, but many players slipped over the course of the game. The game’s referee spoke to ESPN’s Andy Katz about why the game was called:
Unfortunately, it’s just the conditions. The players can’t stop. We can’t stop. It’s a terribly unsafe situation for their sake and their safety. It’s our discretion, and being out here on this floor, we’ve made the decision to call the game.
Pittsburgh was leading 37-35 at halftime when the game was called. The abandoned game will presumably not count towards either team’s record.
After the game was called, both Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and Gonzaga coach Mark Few apologized to the troops in Okinawa for their inability to complete the game. Players went into the crowd to greet the troops and hang out with them and give away parts of their uniform.
Although we like the concept of college hoops game across the globe to entertain troops, attempts to install courts in strange locales haven’t gone particularly well. The idea of putting courts on aircraft carriers was not a successful one. And this court in a humid building not used to hosting hoops is far too moist to be played upon.
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