Originally published on Dec. 1, 1985.
These upsets always occur so unexpectedly for the University of Alaska Anchorage.
"You gentlemen will have to pardon me if I don't know how to conduct myself," coach Harry Larrabee said as he bounced into the press conference room at Sullivan Arena on Saturday following his team's 59-56 upset of Missouri.
The triumph came in UAA's first nationally televised game. It was the team's fifth victory against 18 losses in Great Alaska Shootout history, and just the second Shootout victory for Larrabee.
If Larrabee was confused on how to conduct himself, the players were confused not at all. Neither in the game, when they rallied from a 31-26 deficit, nor afterward, when they celebrated in the locker room.
There were shouts, and there were tears.
"We wanted it more than they did," junior guard Jessie Jackson said. "We went after it."
Two junior starters, Hansi Gnad and Tyrone Jones, were on hand for UAA's last Shootout victory, a 79-72 triumph over New Mexico of the Western Athletic Conference in 1983. Jones liked this one more.
"This was better," Jones said, "just knowing it was Missouri and the size difference. It's better basketball than the WAC. Big Eight is good basketball. And we beat them on national TV — what exposure."
The UAA veterans were able to compare the game with past Shootout efforts, but the freshmen had other standards of measurement.
"It's better than winning the high school state championship," said forward Mike Childs, who did just that last season with the East High Thunderbirds. "I always dreamed about winning. My voice is all scratchy."
Larrabee said it was the biggest win in his five years as UAA's head coach.
"You consider we're playing a team out of the Big Eight Conference, we're playing on national cable television and we're playing with the foundation of what eventually will be a very good team," he said.
As soon as UAA had locked up the victory, Larrabee jumped up from the bench, raised his arms and exhorted the 3,361 spectators. They needed little encouragement, having cheered and stomped their way through the Seawolves' second-half comeback.
Missouri (2-3) tested UAA early, building a 31-22 lead with a minute remaining in the first half.
But the Seawolves (3-1) cut the halftime lead to five points and then — sparked by a fiery halftime meeting — dominated the second half.
Gnad was one of three UAA starters to go scoreless in the first half. He also had just three rebounds. But Jones told him between halves not to worry.
"I told him we were behind him," Jones said. "I knew once the team got behind him more, that he knew we were behind him no matter what happened, you would see the fire in his eyes."
The pep talk worked. Gnad pulled in 10 rebounds and scored 10 points in the second half, including the eventual game-winning free throws with 56 seconds left to give UAA a 58-52 lead, its biggest of the day.
"We told each other we were still in the ball game," Gnad said. "I just told myself I was sick and tired of not playing that well. I was just really happy we won the game and I played a little better."
"He was the meanest guy on the court the second half," Jones said. "He went after the ball with a vengeance."
Larrabee sat three of his five starters down for much of the first half — Gnad, Jackson and forward Jeff Sheedy. The move kept the lineup fresh and, except for Sheedy, out of foul trouble in the second half.
It also gave Larrabee the chance to use nine players. Missouri coach Norm Stewart used only seven, and the Tigers had to play most of the second half without 7-foot freshman center Jeff Leonard, who sat with a swollen ankle.
UAA trailed 37-30 when it began its comeback early in the second half. Holding the Tigers scoreless for more than four minutes, the Seawolves took a 38-37 lead on three baskets by Gnad and a steal and two free throws by Jones.
Missouri regained the lead on free throws by Derrick Chievous and a Robyn Davis tip-in. But Jones scored twice, freshman reserve Mike Killpatrick hit an inside bank shot and Jackson put in a 16-foot jump shot for a 46-45 lead.
The teams swapped the lead three more times before Dale Bartley's pair of free throws with 8:01 left gave UAA the lead for good, 50-49.
UAA then turned to Jones to pad the lead.
"They called the play for me a couple of times," Jones said. "They knew I had a hot hand today."
Roger Brigham covered sports for the ADN from 1981-86. This is an edited version of a story first published on Dec. 1, 1985.