Horizon League Releases 2005-06 Men's Basketball Conference Schedule

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)