Protests follow Northern Iowa denial of $10K in contest
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Fans are calling foul against Northern Iowa and its business sponsor, who denied a $10,000 prize to a student who appeared to win a halftime basketball shooting promotion.
The flap began Wednesday night when Northern Iowa student Dalton Hinsch got a chance at the prize if he made a layup, a free throw, a three-pointer and a half-court shot within what he and the crowd thought was a 30-second time frame.
Hinsch made all four shots within 27 seconds, even beating an announcer’s countdown, sending the crowd attending the UNI-Illinois State game into a frenzy, the Des Moines Register reported. The cheers soon turned to boos when officials declared Hinsch hadn’t got the last shot off in time.
The UNI athletics department tweeted Thursday that the insurer covering the event required all four shots to be completed within 24 seconds. The department said its sponsor, CB Seeds of Parkersburg, Iowa, will give Hinsch “$2,000, a free trip to Arch Madness, & gear!”
Fans reacting to the tweet were less than enthused with the consolation, with the vast majority saying the sponsor and university should pay the full prize.
