Oklahoma State University Athletics
Voices Of The Program
December 16, 2014 | Cowgirl Basketball
The 2014-15 basketball season is one of significance for the voices of Cowgirl Basketball, Kevin Gum and Casey Kendrick. For Gum, it is his 25th season calling the action, while Kendrick is now in his 20th season sitting courtside. To commemorate the duo's landmark season, Gum and Kendrick are counting down their top 25 and top 20 moments, respectively, with the program. Last week, Gum gave us Nos. 25-21 and this week he and Kendrick share Nos. 20-16.
Kevin
20) Arkansas State-80, OSU-73—Dec 9, 2006: This night was the only one I ever feared for my life while calling a game. Jonesboro is the home of home cooking. We kept it close. Down the stretch, the rabid fans were literally beating broomsticks on the metal railing right behind our bench. The striped shirts got involved down the stretch, the home team got their win and to this day I wonder what would have happened in that arena if the Cowgirls had pulled out the win.
Casey
20) Stephen King: We have celebrities come to games from time to time. During the 1996-97 season, we went to Maine and it was great to see that part of the country and eat fresh lobster. We also saw Stephen King, who sat in his box suite and watched the game. It looked like a shadow box and he was as intense as any other fan. While he was a nice guy you couldn't help but think he was a little creepy and cool at the same time. By the way, the Cowgirls won the game, 75-64, and handed Maine a rare home loss.
Kevin
19) Nebraska-60, OSU-45—March 8, 2005: This would be the final game of Julie Goodenough's time at Oklahoma State. Among the greatest parts of my job are the relationships we develop with the coaching staff. Anytime there is a coaching change, there is disappointment for the families. Julie is one of the nicest family people I have ever known. It has been fun to remain friends with her and watch her successes in West Texas.
Casey
19) Meeting Kenny Sailors: The WNIT is rarely the goal for a team and that is not the goal for OSU. But that was the fate for the 2010-11 season for OSU and the committee sent the Cowgirls to Wyoming. The reason that makes my top 20 besides the beautiful mountain setting is having the privilege of meeting and interviewing the inventor of the jump shot, Kenny Sailors. He was a fan and watched as the two Cowgirl teams battled on the court. I appreciate the history of sports and meeting the man who innovated and impacted the game in such an incredible way was a great honor!
Kevin
18) Oklahoma-87, OSU-56—March 6, 2002: The second most emotional day of my broadcasting career. This would be Dick Halterman's last game as head coach ending a 19-year run and against OU of all teams. We had been told weeks before that Dick's contract would not be renewed. Halterman was the guy that gave me my start with the program. While he was so grateful to get the radio exposure, I was equally grateful to be chosen as the program's first ever play-by-play guy. The friendship that would follow between myself, Halterman and associate head coach Jack Easley is still one that I value to this day. In fact, for years following Dick's departure, I would still call him on mornings of gameday and get his predictions on the Cowgirl game followed by a phone call after those games to discuss how the game had played out. That day when we left Kansas City I felt like someone in my family had died.
Casey
18) Texas Tech turnaround: On January 10th, 2004 Oklahoma St lost on the road at Texas Tech 106-43. That's memorable enough by itself and I remember the emotions of that game very well. Fourteen days later on Jan 24th OSU played host to the third-ranked Lady Raiders following that that 63-point debacle in Lubbock. This time it would be in the friendly confines of GIA. As an optimistic person, I feel OSU has a chance to win virtually every game we play. Honestly, I didn't think we had a chance and yet the Cowgirls unleashed an 88-87 double-overtime win completing the most incredible and improbable two-week turnaround!
Kevin
17) Tennessee-69, OSU-60—December 4, 1992: I had grown up a huge Louisiana Tech fan and attended many rivalry games against Tennessee. To get to call a game against legendary Coach Pat Summit was incredible. In a battle of David and Goliath, the Cowgirls kept the Lady Vols on their heels the entire game before falling by single digits. Oh, and being in Hawaii for the tournament wasn't too bad either.
Casey
17) Playing LSU/Notre Dame in NCAA Sweet 16 games: You might think these games would be higher and I could argue that myself. I ranked the runs to the Sweet 16 higher as you will see later. The two Sweet 16s in and of themselves are great memories and the prep for theses games was different for me than most games. As I prepared and studied the opponent and made up my questions for pre-game interviews I had a sense of pride different than usual. Sweet 16 says your relevant and even as a broadcaster that feeling is palatable.
Kevin
16) OSU-77, Texas A&M-70 —Dec 9, 1995: This one was personal. A friend named Casey Kendrick and I had wanted to do a Cowgirl game together for years but due to his employment circumstances it just wouldn't work out. Finally, after years of talking about it, the stars lined up just right, Casey hopped on the team bus with us for the first time and 20 years later Cowgirl fans still listen to us two knuckleheads. By the way, when you bump into Casey, ask him how that first game of Rummy with Dick Halterman, Jack Easley, and the two of us turned out for him. The game was a battle; back and forth for 40 minutes. At the end of the day, Casey was won over as a women's basketball fan and the chemistry with he and I was great. For two decades together with the program, we've seen milestones, laughs, tears, coaching changes, conference realignment, big wins, stunning upsets, and tremendous growth of the fan base. This has been a blast. I tell him I am only as good as he makes me sound and he just rolls his eyes. Not sure when we'll hang up the headsets for the last time, but this is as fun as it's ever been.
Casey
16) Puerto Rico: Wave Runners—I coaxed Coach Littell into an adventure on the open ocean on a wave runner. As fate would have it, I drove first and we didn't work real well as a team. We didn't account for each other as well as we should and after a hat flew off and we turned back to get it—we ended up in the water … four times. Getting back on the wave runner was beginning to take a toll on one of us and one of us was overheard saying “if you dump me again you're going to have to drag me back in because I can't get back on that thing again!”
