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Craig Houtz

Penn State Hosts Illinois In Play4Kay Game Benefiting Pink Zone Sunday



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team hosts its 14th-annual Play4Kay Game Benefiting Pink Zone Sunday afternoon when the Lady Lions take on Illinois at 2 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
OPENING TIPS

  • Penn State returns home to host the Lady Lions' 14th-Annual Play4Kay Game      Benefiting Pink Zone Sunday afternoon when PSU welcomes Illinois to Happy Valley.
  • Penn State earned its first Big Ten victory of the season against Michigan State on Jan. 9. Four of Penn State's wins this season have come over 2019 NCAA Tournament teams.
  • Junior Kamaria McDaniel is the Big Ten's leading scorer with 19.7 points per game. Senior Siyeh Frazier (12.6 ppg) is also averaging double-digit points.

 
IF PENN STATE BEATS ILLINOIS

  • Penn State would earn its ninth-straight win against Illinois.
  • The Lady Lions would improve to 8-6 all-time in Play4Kay games.
  • Penn State would earn its second win of Big Ten play and snap an-eight-game losing streak.

 
PLAY4KAY BENEFITING PINK ZONE

  • Pink Zone and Penn State Women's Basketball are a unified force in the fight against breast cancer on the court, across campus and within communities. Pink Zone promotes cancer awareness and empowers survivors through year-long efforts to raise funds critical in supporting vital breast cancer organizations, charities and facilities that focus on breast cancer education, research, diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
  • The Lady Lions own a 7-6 record in the Play4Kay game benefiting Pink Zone, including a five-game winning streak from 2010-14.
  • Pink Zone at Penn State has raised more than $2.4 million in funds over its 13 years, including a record $310,000 in 2014.
  • The event began in 2007 with $20,490 raised and 31 cancer survivors in attendance, and has grown into an event that has raised over $200,000 in seven of the last eight years and welcomed upwards of 400 cancer survivors annually.
  • Pink Zone's six beneficiaries include: Mount Nittany Health Foundation, Penn State Cancer Institute, Kay Yow Foundation, PA Breast Cancer Coalition, JC Blair Memorial Hospital and Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.




 
AN EVENT LIKE NO OTHER

  • Penn State was the first team in the NCAA to don pink uniforms, debuting the threads on Feb. 4, 2007 against Wisconsin at the Bryce Jordan Center.
  • The Lady Lion program has been honored as the Play4Kay Division I initiative winner twice in program history, winning the award in 2013 and 2014.

 
NATIONAL FREE THROW CHALLENGE

  • Penn State is participating in the Play4Kay National Free Throw Challenge benefiting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund during the month of February.
  • Fans can support the Lady Lions by pledging for every free throw the team makes during the month of February. Donations can be made as a pledge per free throw on a one-time flat donation. Pledges can be made by clicking HERE.
  • The Kay Yow Cancer Fund's mission is to extend and improve the lives of those who are battling cancer, on our way to finding a cure, by raising money for research and assisting the underserved. The Play4Kay initiative is the Kay Yow Cancer Fund's largest fundraiser and plays a major role in uniting players, coaches, and communities in the fight against all cancers affecting women.
  • Penn State will be competing against hundreds of Division I teams across the country to raise the most money, and the progress can be followed on the National Leaderboard. The team raising the most money will be crowned champion. All proceeds of the Play4Kay National Free Throw Challenge will benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Play4Kay National Free Throw Challenge is proudly sponsored by John & Sue Gibbs.



 
SCOUTING ILLINOIS

  • Illinois enters Sunday's game with a 10-12 overall record and 1-10 mark in Big Ten play.
  • The Illini have lost six-straight games, including a 78-58 loss against Ohio State in their most recent contest Thursday night.
  • Illinois is 1-6 in away games this season compared to its 9-6 record when playing at home.
  • Illinois' lone conference win of the season came against Minnesota (74-71) on Jan. 12.
  • Petra Holesinska leads the team with 13.7 points per game. She is the only Illini averaging double-digit points.
  • Kennedi Myles follows with 9.3 points per contest and a team-best 8.7 rebounds per game.

 
AGAINST THE FIGHTING ILLINI

  • Penn State has won eight-straight matchups against the Illini, including a series sweep a season ago.
  • The Lady Lions are 19-3 all-time when playing Illinois in Happy Valley. Penn State has not lost to the Illini at home since Jan. 4, 2015.
  • Penn State earned a 76-65 road win at Illinois in the most recent meeting on Feb. 24, 2019. That win came after a 62-48 victory in the first meeting of the season on Jan. 12, 2019 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
  • The Lady Lions drained 10 three-pointers and shot 52.8 percent (28-for-53) from the field and 43.5 percent (10-for-23) from three-point range to earn the 76-65 win on Feb. 24, 2019.
  • Four Lady Lions finished in double figures as Kamaria McDaniel led the way with 20 points. Jaida Travascio-Green drained five three-pointers and finished with a season-best 19 points. Amari Carter stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, a team-best six assists, six rebounds and four steals. Siyeh Frazier rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points.

 
KAMARIA McBUCKETS

  • Kamaria McDaniel is the Big Ten's leading scorer and averaging 19.7 points per game. That mark ranks 16th in all of Division I as of Feb. 7. Her 21.3 points per Big Ten game  is tied for first in the conference.
  • She dropped the third 40-point game in program history against Pittsburgh on Dec. 5 and put up a 31-point performance against Minnesota in the Big Ten opener on Dec. 28. McDaniel was just one assist away from recording Penn State's first triple-double of the Big Ten era on Jan. 9 against Michigan State as she tallied team-best marks of 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. It marked her first career double-double. She then put together a 35-point effort at Purdue on Jan. 26. It marked her third 30-plus point performance of the season.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State heads to Nebraska Thursday evening for an 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT tipoff.