Jan. 17, 2016
By ANNA PITINGOLO, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - It's been close to 18 years since Donna Spoonhour was diagnosed with breast cancer, and on Sunday, for the third time, she attended the Pink Zone game with her family.
Spoonhour was one of 640 breast cancer survivors on the court at the Bryce Jordan Center at halftime to celebrate the 10th Annual Pink Zone game. Accompanied by her daughter, granddaughter and her granddaughter's friend, Spoonhour saw Penn State lose a close battle with Michigan, 91-87.
But regardless of the outcome of the game, Spoonhour was blown away by all the support aimed towards survivors. The day has become a great way for survivors to come out and enjoy themselves with friends and family, with events before and after the game that survivors can attend.
"It's such a nice thing for them to do, to honor us," Spoonhour said. "Everything, all the details, they make sure that you're taken care of and it's really sweet. It's very exciting. We love it and we always have a really good time."
Players share a similar sentiment towards the game. Senior Brianna Banks was playing in her first Pink Zone game, but raved about how much it means to her and the team.
"This is probably the best game of the season. If we make it to a championship game, I still would say this is the best game of the season because of what it means and who we get to play for," Banks said. "Even though we play for everybody everyday, today is a special day for survivors. It really means a lot to us that they all come out every year and cheer for us whether we win or lose."
After struggling early in the game, the Lady Lions put on a show for the over 9,000 fans in attendance, keeping themselves in the game even when the Wolverines tried to kick them out of it. Several times, Penn State saw themselves facing a double-digit deficit, but each time they clawed their way back to within a few baskets.
Freshman Teniya Page went off for a career-high 31 points, becoming the first true freshman to reach 30 points since 2007 and the fifth freshman overall to do so. Page scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, when she shot 5-for-7 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line to keep the Lady Lions in the game.
Head coach Coquese Washington wasn't surprised by Page's flurry of points in the fourth quarter. She credits many things to allowing Page to thrive in high-pressure situations as the clock winds down, including her vast knowledge of the game, even at such a young age.
"She has great poise and understanding in the moment," Washington said. "She has a really high basketball IQ and understanding of what we need in those moments, when we need a 3-pointer, how the other team is likely to defend us in those moments. She's just got a really good feel for the game and her competitive nature comes out in the fourth quarter, so you put all those things together and she's able to make plays down the stretch."
After being down by nine heading into the final frame, Page led the Lady Lions on an epic comeback run to keep the game close. Down by 16 with eight minutes left, they rallied around each other, eventually getting the game to within one basket four different times with under a minute remaining.
A big part of the late game rally came in part from the lockdown defense the Lady Lions played. They held Michigan without a field goal for the final 3:20 of the game, with the Wolverines scoring their final 15 points on free throws.
Washington credits the tenacity of her team with leading that fourth quarter comeback.
"I just love the fight that we have. This team is just going to play. They're not going to stop playing until the final buzzer and that's a great thing to have as a coach, that you know your kids are going to be in the fight for the whole 40 minutes," Washington said.
With the 2016 Pink Zone game now in the books, Washington and her team can look forward to continuing the tradition in years to come.
"When you look at everybody that's here, it's not just about Lady Lion basketball, it's about what it means to Centre County, what it means to the Penn State community and having this community galvanizing and rallying around a cause," Washington said. "You just see and feel the Penn State spirit of giving back on this day. I think you feel that every Pink Zone game and as it continues to grow it speaks volumes about Penn State University and who we are as a university and who we are as an athletic department."
No matter when the 2017 Pink Zone game will be played, there's no doubt that Washington and her team will have it circled on their calendar.