UM's Crisler Center goes green as rivals come together after tragedy

Ann Arbor — Crisler Center has never looked like this.

It turned green.

There was a big-time basketball game being played Saturday night, one with significant implications for Michigan and Michigan State's postseason hopes, but that wasn't the biggest story. Not even close. Wolverines and Spartans fans came together like perhaps they never have before, just five days after a shooting on Michigan State's campus killed three students, critically injured five others and emotionally wrecked an East Lansing community of 50,000 students. Funerals for two victims were held earlier Saturday.

Before tip-off, during a moment of silence for the Michigan State victims, they lit the arena green, and it stayed that way as the Michigan Band — having just learned the music — beautifully played "Shadows," the Michigan State alma mater. If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, you might not have even believed UM lighting operators even had green in their electronic color palette.

During warm-ups Michigan players wore green Michigan State heart stickers on their maize t-shirts that also paid tribute to the Spartans. And during the pregame introductions of Michigan State's players, the Spartans received a loud standing ovation from the as-capacity-as-capacity-can-get crowd of 12,707. Fans throughout one side of the arena yelled, "Go Green," while fans on the other side yelled, "Go White," 65 miles from Breslin Center, where those chants are normally heard, at least back when normal was a thing.

"We had their crowd support," Michigan State's Jaden Akins said. "That was kind of different.

"I thought it was a really nice gesture what they did.

"The whole state kind of came together for this game."

Michigan State athletics returned to competition Friday for the first time since the tragedy on campus, with all four teams in action — baseball, hockey, softball and wrestling — winning. Baseball won, 15-8, in Arizona, opening the season against a UM team that wore Spartan stickers and shared a pregame prayer with MSU, players kneeling together, their arms draped around a rival's shoulder.

"It was a pretty powerful moment," said Michigan State baseball coach Jake Boss, "for sure."

Then, Saturday marked Michigan State basketball's return to competition, with the women's team falling at home to Maryland, 66-61, in East Lansing in the afternoon before the men lost in Ann Arbor, 84-72, on a night such Michigan luminaries as John Beilein, J.J. McCarthy, Trey Burke and Lloyd Carr, among others, also were in the building as UM honored the 10-year anniversary of the 2013 team that made the national-championship game.

Saturday night's game was a classic UM-MSU thriller, actually a lot closer than the final score would indicate, on a night the rival schools were closer than ever.

"It's a great time for two schools to come together," said Beilein, Michigan's former head coach, "and see what's really important."

During the halftime ceremony for the 2013 team, Beilein spoke while wearing maize and blue, of course, but also a green Michigan State button. During his coaching days in Ann Arbor, he used to playfully — but not totally joking, either — chide beat reporters who showed up at Crisler Center wearing any hint of green clothing.

The rivalry, obviously, takes a back seat to real life.

"It meant a lot," Michigan State's Tyson Walker said of UM. "They did something for a greater purpose."

Michigan State players and fans have never received a welcome like this evening in Washtenaw County, where members of the Maize Rage, Michigan's student section, stuck with the plan for a "Maize Out" — but the shirts read, "Michigan Basketball Stands with MSU." The Michigan players, coaches and cheerleaders wore the same shirts. Many Michigan students also wore green heart stickers and ribbons. Same with arena workers and ushers. Several Michigan fans wore Michigan shirts but Michigan State hats as they waited outside the arena for the doors to open.

A green Michigan State "Spartan Strong" banner draped over the front row of the Maize Rage during pregame introductions, as one Michigan student held up a whiteboard that read: "Love You, Brother," with "Little" crossed out — "Little Brother" being one of the low points in the rivalry, and Saturday being perhaps the highest point. Another sign read, "We're With U MSU."

One member of the Maize Rage went around Crisler before the game holding a whiteboard suggesting donations to the "Spartan Strong Fund." The Maize Rage's Venmo account had received at least 10 public donations before tip-off, with messages like, "God's Work. Go Green, And Thank You For Caring," and "Spartan Strong!"

"As you can imagine, there's a million emotions," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said after the game, multiple times pausing to gather his emotions. "I would like to thank the University of Michigan for the things they did on behalf of our university, our students, three deceased students, and the ones that are in the hospital.

"I thought it was a very classy move on their part."

All fans were given glow bracelets, which were synced and choreographed, strategically alternating colors, mostly from blue to green, landing on green for much of the game. Michigan State players and coaches — plus athletic director Alan Haller — wore white, "Spartan Strong" t-shirts.

The evening's love for Michigan State even carried over to the early moments of the game, when Joey Hauser opened the scoring with a jump shot, sparking an ovation from fans wearing green or maize, or even both.

Doubt you've ever seen that before.

"It was something special," Michigan State's A.J. Hoggard said on a UM campus where students held a vigil earlier this week and where their famous rock, too, was painted green and white.

"Just to come together, and put the rivalry aside."

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984