An unlikely hero emerged during the first round of last week’s men’s NCAA tournament game between Indiana and St. Mary’s as a Hoosiers cheerleader rescued a stray basketball that lodged itself atop the backboard. A viral video emerged of Cassidy Cerny saving the day in what became one of the most memorable moments from the first weekend of March Madness.
After her daring rescue, and a fantastic accompanying broadcast call from CBS Sports’ Andrew Catalon, Cerny earned a Name, Image and Likeness deal with sports apparel company Breaking T. A t-shirt has been designed to commemorate the moment Cerny skied above the backboard to retrieve the ball, with the shirt caption reading “the cheerleader saves the day.