Jennies show Sportsmanship for injured Truman Player

The University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball team looked as if it had wrapped up an 11-point win on Saturday at Truman State to clinch the sixth-seed in the upcoming conference tournament, but a bucket by the Bulldogs with four seconds left cut it to a nine-point win. That basket might have been the most significant of the afternoon in the 71-62 final score.

Most people not at Pershing Arena that day would ask why it was, but if you were there, you would know why. It all happened in a few second span after Central Missouri hit a free throw with six seconds left on the other end of the court.

Truman State senior Cassie Hunt, who was not able to play due to a knee injury, walked up with Truman Head Coach Michael Smith to the scorer's table to check in the game, but the scorekeeper notified the coach she was not in the scorebook. Jennies head coach Dave Slifer walked over and asked the referees to cancel the technical foul and let the teary-eyed Hunt come into the game. He then told a Truman player to pass the ball down the floor and let Hunt score a bucket. She did so with four seconds left, and Hunt got to finish her last career home game on the floor with her team.

Slifer explained afterward that he had known Hunt, as she played basketball against his daughter Brittney in high school. He actually talked to her before the game as she was doing rehab on her knee, it just so happened he got the chance to make the gesture in the final moments of the contest.

"Some people might have accused us of playing that type of post defense all season." Slifer joked, "That really meant a lot to her, she is a neat kid that was really playing good basketball and it was unfortunate that her senior season had to end with the injury."

Following the game, as Smith thanked Slifer, the home crowd understood what had happened and stood up to applaud the display of sportsmanship.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• UCM
• Jennies
• Basketball

[posada37]

@Drake123V He has a point, i meen the sport does'nt bring in any money like football or baseball. They cost a lot of money and it's not even like a Female will become pro

[posada37]

@TheTrevo410 im with you

[DannyCro9009]

Props to that classy coach in an age that trait seems to be increasingly rare.

[Drake123V]

@TheTrevo410

ur a waste of life!!!

[TheTrevo410]

i dont support womens athletics,,, waste of university money...

[walteria1964]

Amen to that! That is classic! It made me a new fan of both teams!

[eddieroot]

Reminds me of ex-Oklahoma state coach Leonard Hamilton in 1988. He allowed the injured Archie Marshall to check in and hoist an uncontested shot on his senior day at Allen Field House.

With all the "bad jock" headlines filling the margins of the sports pages, it's always refreshing to see something classy like this. UCM should be proud of their coach. If wins and losses ever become an issue for his employment, I hope his Athletic Director remembers this life lesson he taught his players.