More than 500 breast cancer survivors, over 12,300 pink-clad fans in place to cheer on not only the Lady Lion basketball team but those survivors as well, an undisputed Big Ten championship on the line and a four-time Grammy Award winner on hand.
These were some of the highlights from an amazing day at the sixth annual WBCA Pink Zone game at Penn State, held Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center.
An amazing committee led by Miriam Powell, many hardworking volunteers including members of the community as well as members of the Penn State athletic department and a basketball team that wasn’t going to allow a letdown from two huge games in the past week and a half dampen the spirits of what was happening on this special day.
The Pink Zone committee’s goal was 12,500 fans in the seats at the BJC. Check!
The Pink Zone committee’s goal was 400-plus survivors in attendance. Check!
The Lady Lions’ goal was a Big Ten regular season championship. Check!
Create a day in which everyone in the stands would remember forever. Check!
As I sat in my perch in the radio booth high above the crowd with my pink Mohawk to show support for this event, I was and still am truly amazed at the continued support that is shown for the many worthy philanthropies in the community that constantly reach their goals during these sometime difficult times.
We are one week removed from that truly fantastic weekend referred now simply as THON. We know how well that turned out. Now we watch an event like Pink Zone reach its goals. I truly do marvel at the generosity and benevolence of all of you in our great community.
Congratulations to all for what you do for this great place we call Happy Valley that some want to tear down because of recent events.
Guess what folks . . . It ain’t gonna happen.
On to some of the basketball stuff from this Lady Lion team. Maggie Lucas got my vote for the Big Ten Player of the Year, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the media and coaches vote. I have long felt that since we entered the Big Ten years ago, that there was a bias against Penn State, especially by the media. I am going to predict that Maggie will get the award as voted by the coaches, but Samantha Prahalis of Ohio State will win in the media’s vote.
The Lady Lions will now get ready for the Big Ten Tournament this weekend in Indianapolis in which they will be the No. 1 seed and the regular season champion, something that has not happened since 2004.
Penn State will meet either No. 8 seed Minnesota or No. 9 seed Wisconsin at 6 Friday night. Should the Lady Lions advance to a semifinal on Saturday night, they will play at approximately 6:30, most likely against the winner of No. 4 seed Purdue and No. 5 seed Michigan State. The championship game will be played on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Coach Coquese Washington has this team playing well and peaking at the right time, and an NCAA Tournament berth is assured. But before we worry about that, let’s put the cherry on the cupcake with not only a Big Ten regular season title but a postseason tournament title as well this weekend.
