With just one minute left to go in the 82-39 Lady Tigers’ blowout of Kentucky Wednesday night, the crowd of 3,107 was standing, clapping and chanting “4-0-0” very rhythmically.
The chant dissipated, only to be resumed with just under 30 seconds left to go in the game.
A constant on the LSU sidelines for 21 years, Sue Gunter and her team celebrated her 400th win with the Lady Tigers in style. LSU is 15-0 on the season, its best-ever start, and improved to 3-0 in the conference.
“I’ve been really blessed to have a really great career, some good teams, and good enough players that helped me to keep my job over a long period of time,” Gunter said with smile and emotion. “Coaching, really and truly, is all about the players. It’s about the players who passed through this program and made the contribution that they have made.
“The other thing, that was the nicest thing to me tonight was there were 3,000 people here for a Thursday night. That’s terrific. Those are the things we are working hard to see.”
Junior guard Doneeka Hodges said Gunter earned her milestone.
“That’s exciting for everybody,” Hodges said. “Coach Gunter is a good coach and she deserves it. There was a lot of hype surrounding Coach Gunter’s 400th win, we were going to come out and make it happen for her.”
Freshman Seimone Augustus said the Lady Tigers focused on the game first, then the celebration.
“It was Coach Gunter’s 400th win, but we tried not to worry about that (before the game),” she said.
Gunter not only achieved such an impressive mark, but she did it in the friendly confines of the PMAC.
“It’s exciting,” senior forward DeTrina White said. “I’m happy, but most of all I’m excited for Coach Gunter, for her to get her 400th here at LSU. Hopefully, she’ll have more (wins) to come.”
The LSU Board of Supervisors shared a few words with the crowd and Gunter moments before tipoff. When the game was completed, Associate Athletics Director and Senior Women’s Administrator Judy Southard commended Gunter on her achievement.
Gunter’s career record stands at 666-296 in 39 years of coaching, including a 400-209 mark in Baton Rouge.