SLIPPERY ROCK — For Kathy Lisman Wood, it paid to steal.

The all-time theft leader in Slippery Rock University women’s basketball history, the Mars graduate and longtime Butler County Community College professor had her jersey retired Saturday at Morrow Field House.

The ceremony took place at halftime of The Rock-Edinboro women’s game.

“It’s very humbling, but it feels very good,” she said.

Lisman Wood was a four-year starter at point guard for SRU from 1978-82 after a Mars career that saw her score more than 1,000 points. The Planets were state runners-up in the 1976-77 season.

Lisman Wood set The Rock’s single-season steals record of 108 in 1979-80 and she had 311 steals in her career. She also ranks second in career assists with 422.

She played in an era where there was only one division for NCAA women’s basketball.

“I had a chance to go to bigger schools, but I would have gotten homesick,” Lisman Wood said. “Besides, Slippery Rock was the place to go back then.

“This was the best four years of my life. I loved my time here.”

Lisman Wiood played for three different head coaches — Anne Griffith, Joanne Reis and Judy Battles — in four years. Jan Kasnevich was SRU’s assistant coach during that era.

Kasnevich also was the SRU softball coach and Lisman Wood was one of her outfielders.

“I coached three different sports and Kathy is at the top of my list of favorite players,” Kasnevich said. “She’s just a beautiful person.

“Her favorite play was the assist. That’s just who she was: the ultimate team player.”

Lisman Wood became the fifth former Rock women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired in the past two years. Beth Dansberger Snyder was honored earlier this season.

Kory Fielitz Rorabaugh, Jodi Gault and Kasnevich were recognized last year.

Gault, who went on to win more than 500 games in a 25-year basketball coaching career at Pitt-Johnstown, was a teammate of Lisman Wood’s.

“We were the starting guards and complemented each other well,” Gault said. “That was a different time. We played Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia and beat them.”

SRU also played Cheyney while Hall of Fame coach and SRU graduate C. Vivian Stringer was guiding that program. Cheyney defeated SRU by scores of 92-33 (twice), 85-53 and 86-47 during Lisman Wood’s years.

“They were quick, they were tall and they could jump,” Lisman Wood recalled. “And we were a bunch of country girls.”

Still, SRU posted winning records three times and made the playoffs twice during Lisman Wood’s tenure.

“Other players on the team looked up to her,” Kasnevich said. “She was the stabilizing force through those coaching changes.

“She was always positive, totally dedicated and committed to the program and her team — just a great kid.”

Lisman Wood has been a professor of humanities and social sciences at BC3 for 25 years. Her husband is Knoch boys soccer coach Doug Wood.

She is a member of the SRU Athletic, Butler County Sports and Mars Athletic Halls of Fame.

And she still gets to at least one home game at SRU, which won just three games this season.

“There’s a new coach and a rebuilding process takes time,” she said. I still support this program. It did a lot for me.”