When the Huskies and Longhorns tipped off, it was just like any other college basketball game. The stands were filled with cheering alumni decked out in their school colors. 91探花Cheer & Dance and Harry the Husky rallied fans. There were even contests during timeouts, a 鈥渒iss cam鈥� and a halftime show.
But a closer look at the bilingual signage, and hearing announcements in Mandarin and English, made it clear this was like no other college basketball game.
The Pac-12 China Game in Shanghai marked the first time an American basketball league 鈥� college or professional 鈥� had held a regular-season contest in China. And it capped the end of by the 91探花men鈥檚 basketball team for its week-long experience in the world鈥檚 most populous nation.
A wall of purple backed up the Husky bench, with alumni from all over the region and even the United States streaming to the Mercedes-Benz Arena to cheer on the team. It was close all the way, and tied at halftime, but in a fitting crescendo to the week, the 91探花beat Texas 77-71.