2008 Woodie Awards
Jennies Trying to Become 'Cinderella' Team This Year
Winston Robinson: Muleskinner
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: Sports
|
With everyone counting them out early, the "Cinderella" team makes it to the big dance and quiets the nay-sayers.
With that in mind, the Jennies hope to be like "Cinderalla" and crash the MIAA tournament party this weekend.
After finishing the season 14-13, the Jennies come into the tournament as a sixth seed and will square off against Southwest Baptist, who split the season series with the Jennies this season.
"We're down to a three game season," said coach Dave Slifer, "and it's one-and-done deal."
Indeed, the Jennies will have three games to prove they belong, but they might have caught the attention of the league when they knocked off No. 18 Washburn, 68-59.
The win came on an emotional senior day where guards Lindsey Maple and Stephanie Cook and center Jojuanna Jones were honored.
"[Winning was] the best senior gift I've gotten," Maple said.
Maple and Cook, who have both been at Central Missouri for four years, had never beaten Washburn until Saturday.
"It was awesome," Maple said. "We had not beaten them in nine games, and now we're 1-9 against them."
Maple, who was recently selected to be on the All-MIAA Second Team, received another gift when her brother sang the national anthem before tip-off.
"That about brought tears to me before the game," Maple said.
After the game was over, the tears started coming, especially for Cook.
"The girls on our team wanted to win it for us, they didn't want to win it for them, and that showed throughout," Cook said. "Every time Kara [Fleming] did something good, she was pointing at me and Maple. They were fighting for us, and that means the world to me."
The Jennies did fight to hold off the co-conference champions.
Be the first to comment on this story