College Basketball

Gonzaga tops Michigan State in one-of-a-kind setting aboard USS Abraham Lincoln

Updated Nov. 13, 2022 9:06 p.m. ET

CORONADO ISLAND, Calif. — Start with the walk.

From the moment you enter the North Island Naval Air Station, you can't help but notice that the USS Abraham Lincoln is a massive vessel, and it’s still multiple football field distances away.

Come up alongside the aircraft carrier, and it’s hard to believe there will be a college basketball game on the deck, hundreds of feet above the sea.

This game on Friday night was a massive undertaking to pull off, just as it was 11 years ago when Michigan State and North Carolina played on the USS Carl Vinson, and then-President Obama was on board to watch the first-ever college basketball game on an active carrier.

This isn’t a normal event. That’s what makes it so special, and something that hopefully can be duplicated in future seasons with similar top-tier teams.

There is simply nothing like this — maybe in any sport.

The game tipped at around 3:40 p.m. PT, with a bit of a breeze and sun beaming down over the digital scoreboard that was erected for this event. While the sun dipped behind it soon after the first half tipped off, the breeze stayed and the chill arrived.

Still, there was no slippage due to condensation. There was no rain — a fear in 2011 that ultimately didn't come to pass until after that game ended. What did occur was a game between No. 2 Gonzaga and a Michigan State team that should be ranked, with the Zags winning 64-63 after trailing by a dozen in the second half. Gonzaga coach Mark Few said it was an honor and made sure to say that both teams played their "tails off."

"This will stick with me for the rest of my life," said all-American Drew Timme, who was more himself in the second half to lead the Zags. Timme, who struggled at the free-throw line and jokingly said he should blame his 4-for-10 performance there on the wind, finished with 22 points and nine boards.

Timme came away impressed with the setting, and with stories from those he had met on board.

"I used to think we had it tough, but we have it easy," he said. "You don’t know about it until you come here and hear about the sacrifices. It was truly humbling."

Timme is right. Until you actually listen to the stories of the months at sea that these sailors spend, it’s hard to grasp what the enlisted go through versus high-profile college athletes.

But the players certainly get it, and there was no mistaking the respect felt by every member of the Gonzaga and Michigan State traveling parties. There was no better example than the eerie silence when the two teams came onto the court before the national anthem, and then again prior to the second half when the two teams stopped to listen to the playing of the evening colors. Everyone stopped. Stood. Watched. And then they played and were just as intense as they were prior to halftime.

"I love the atmosphere we had with a lot of boosters and fans and donors," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "I don’t think anyone is left feeling bad. … These sailors put their life on the line. This was a good day. Both teams played hard. The military would have been proud of the Spartans and the Zags."

As for the game itself, Timme said the Spartans figuratively punched them in the face in the first half, and to some extent, in the second. But then Timme, as Izzo said, played like an all-American.

There was nothing to be upset about really on either team. Michigan State had a shot to win it, but Jaden Akins’ bucket didn’t go down. The Spartans had foul issues with Joey Hauser, who eventually fouled out, and Malik Hall, who had four. The timely shots by Tyson Walker, Akins and Pierre Brooks, the cutbacks by Mady Sissoko as well as the defensive prowess — especially around the perimeter — will be a huge plus for the Spartans.

We should know more about the Spartans in the coming weeks after they play Kentucky on Tuesday in Indianapolis at the Champions Classic, host Villanova in the Gavitt Games, compete in the PK85 event in Portland and take on Notre Dame in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

As for the Zags, they know they can count on Timme. There were moments when Julian Strawther and Nolan Hickman stood out. But they will clearly need more consistency from Anton Watson, Rasir Bolton, Malachi Smith and Efton Reid if they’re going to live up to the preseason ranking.

Gonzaga plays at Texas and welcomes Kentucky to Spokane in the next week, so there will be plenty to dissect.

Those games will be more "traditional" college basketball games. That’s great scheduling and good for the game. But having this event, on this Veterans Day, on this ship, is something that won’t be replicated until it happens again — hopefully more often than every 11 years.

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Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.