Jamie Gunter doesn”t want to waste any more time.

That thought has stuck in her mind since August. It has pulsed through her veins in every session in the training room. It has helped quiet any doubt or apprehension she felt about attempting to come back from another anterior cruciate ligament tear.

Gunter finally put that chatter to rest Monday when she played her first game of the season for the East Mississippi Community College women”s basketball team. The 5-foot-10 guard/forward scored 10 points and had five rebounds in a 55-42 victory against Mississippi Delta C.C.

For her accomplishment, Gunter is The Dispatch”s College Player of the Week.

“It felt good to be back,” Gunter said. “I really didn”t want to try to do too much with my knee. I wanted to keep it simple and go out there and work hard.”

Gunter said she didn”t feel any pain in her knee. She had hoped to be back at the beginning of the year, but she didn”t receive medical clearance until Friday. She made up for the lost time by helping the Lady Lions improve to 7-6 and 2-1 in the conference.

EMCC coach Sharon Thompson was glad to have Gunter, a sophomore who transferred from the University of Louisiana Lafayette, back, especially with guard Shanteria Tate injured and the recent dismissal of former Starkville High standout Kala Williams.

“Anytime you can get 10 points from anybody it is a big help,” Thompson said. “She had a pretty good game for her first time actually getting up and down the floor.”

Gunter had been working with the team since the start of the year, but she was limited to work in drills and half-court stuff. As a result, Thompson said Gunter still needs to improve her conditioning. Still, Thompson said Gunter has handled the second ACL tear (one in each knee) well and hasn”t let it get her down.

“She is taking it in stride,” Thompson said. “It was a hard pill to swallow considering she tore the ACL in her knee in her freshman year at Louisiana Lafayette. She has been very, very positive. If she wasn”t she did a good job of hiding it.”

Thompson praised Gunter for working hard with head athletic trainer Corey Lock. He said Lock “kicked butt” with Gunter and pushed her through her rehabilitation.

“Our trainer said she was one of the best patients he has worked with,” Thompson said.

Gunter was receptive to Lock”s motivations because she wanted to get back as soon as possible in an attempt to earn a scholarship to get back to the Division I level.

Gunter didn”t allow the memory of the frustration she has lived with since she tore the ACL in a pickup game in August slow her down. She said getting back to the court in four and a half months has allowed her to keep her dream alive.

Gunter played two seasons at Heritage Academy before transferring to Columbus High for her final season. She lettered in basketball and softball at heritage Academy for two years. She lettered in basketball, softball, and track and field in her one year at Columbus High.

Gunter was named All-State at both schools. In addition to being a three-time All-Conference member, she was named All-District in softball at both schools. She led the state in scoring (27.2 points per game) as a senior, and was a member of the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star team.

Gunter played in 30 games (three starts) and averaged 5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 13.3 minutes for ULL. Gunter hopes she can show in the final months of the season she has what it takes to help a team at the next level.

“I have a long way to go as far as getting my knee back to where I want it to be,” Gunter said. “I figure by the time postseason starts I will be ready to go.

“I love the game and I didn”t want to stop playing. I fig this semester if I can do what I am supposed to do and rebound I will be able to get a scholarship somewhere.”

Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.