Wieden Hall Reopens for UMPI Basketball Home Games
When the final buzzer sounded on Feb. 15, 2022, Wieden Gymnasium would not see action for another 11 months. In March, huge renovations began on Wieden Hall. This included a complete overhaul to the aging building’s roof. Constructed in 1960, the building was in major need for upgrades to meet the demand of UMPI athletics.
Because of the major construction, UMPI Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams played their entire first semester of games for the 2022-2023 season on the road. Dan Kane, UMPI athletics director and men’s head basketball coach, was at the forefront of dealing with the many complications. “As an A.D., it’s been a stressful 10 months,” Kane said.
Both basketball teams had to use facilities from Presque Isle High School and Northern Maine Community College to practice in. “The players have been great. The coaches have been great. Having to play on the road and practicing at other facilities,” Kane said.
Finally, on Jan. 6, 2023, UMPI was able to get back into their own gym and host home games. Although it was during winter break with most of the student body gone, the bleachers were still mostly full. “Even when students aren’t here, we just pack the gym with community support, so it is really something special,” Kane said. Among the crowd that day were parents from near and far and community members who just wanted to see some good basketball.
When the students are there, however, the crowd really ramps up.
Spencer Harman, a sophomore at UMPI, is a notable loud voice in the student section. “As a freshman last year, it was one of the things I really looked forward to, was going to the games,” Harman said. When UMPI was on the road, people missed being able to watch their Owls in person. “It was a big wait, and a little bit of a disappointment. So it was nice to have the gym open up and have an electric atmosphere again,” Harman said.
UMPI’s student section consists of a lot of athletes from men’s and women’s teams that are out of season. Non-athletes come out to support the campus basketball teams as well. Everybody–athletes and non-athletes, students and non-students alike–come together to comprise UMPI’s sixth man.
Later in the season, when UMPI hosted their rivals, the Husson Eagles, Wieden was packed. From the tip off of the women’s game, which started at 5:30, to the final buzzer of the men’s game around 9, the stands were full. The UMPI men’s team was able to come away with a big conference victory. That’s thanks, in part, to the home-court advantage that comes with playing in Wieden Gymnasium.
“Our home crowd is always a big advantage because we have one of the best crowds in the conference,” Kane said. “In the last three years, we are 19-5 at home. So, I think that really speaks to how well we play up here in the County,” Kane said.
Having the crowd on your side is a huge asset in basketball. With the crowd comes the noise when good things happen for the home team. Which can then shift momentum and affect how the opposing team responds to it. The student section is often the catalyst to the energy that the crowd creates. “I’ve been to a couple away games and the energy has been less, but the energy when we have home games. I definitely feel like the teams feed off of it,” Harman said.
At the half of the men’s game versus Husson, the Eagles held a one-point lead. UMPI ended up winning by 17. During the second half, you could feel the momentum change in the building. “When you get into the second half and the crowd gets into it more, it gets louder and harder for the away team’s offenses to work,” Harman said.
All of UMPI’s athletic teams spend lots of time on the road. But when the basketball teams play at Wieden, the community and students rarely disappoint.
As Dorothy said, there’s no place like home. And for UMPI teams, there’s no place like Wieden.
