On Nov. 24, 1987, UND defeated Minnesota State-Moorhead 84-55 in a women's basketball game at the Hyslop Sports Center. It was the initial home game for first-year Sioux coach Gene Roebuck.
Tonight, Roebuck will coach his final regular-season home game as the UND coach. The Sioux will close out their home schedule against Mayville State, Roebuck's alma mater.
But will it be the last home game for Roebuck, who is retiring at the end of the season after a 25-year career at UND?
"Hopefully, this won't be the last game we play at home," Roebuck said. "There is an opportunity out there, maybe, to play in the postseason. But if it's the last game, so be it. We'll do the best we can to win a basketball game."
UND is 6-1 in the Great West Conference (15-10 overall) and is the favorite to win the league's postseason tournament title next month in Chicago. Last season, Chicago State won the Great West title and played in the Women's Basketball Invitational.
ADVERTISEMENT
South Dakota, which had 19 wins last year but did not win the league tournament, also played in the WBI, a single-elimination -- 16-team tournament played exclusively at home sites.
Alabama-Birmingham won last year's championship, while Appalachian State won the inaugural tournament in 2009.
But the focus tonight will be on Roebuck's last regularly scheduled home game and win No. 623.
There is another part to tonight's game. The game is dubbed 'Think Pink' to raise awareness of cancer research.
"That's a special occasion in itself," Roebuck said. "We'll be wearing pink uniforms."
But once the game begins, it will be business as usual for Roebuck, as it has been for the past 25 years.
And his players don't want to let him down.
"He's had such a great career and he's spending his last games with us," said UND sophomore center Allyssa Wall, who received Great West Conference player of the week honors for the second straight week. "We want to make sure we don't disappoint and play the kind of basketball he expects us to play."
ADVERTISEMENT
Nelson reports on sports. Reach him at (701) 780-1268; (800) 477-6572, ext. 268; or send email to wnelson@gfherald.com .
