University of North Texas

The Mean Green women’s basketball team – which is attracting national attention - will participate in the annual Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Play 4Kay game Wednesday, Feb. 15 in the Super Pit. The 7 p.m. game is versus the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

Play 4Kay, a national event previously known as the Pink Zone game, began in 2007. Proceeds benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in partnership with the V Foundation for Cancer Research. More than 150 colleges and universities participate each year, and games and activities have raised more than $4.5 million.

Spirit groups and staff will wear pink T-shirts, which will be for sale at the Super Pit. All proceeds will benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Coaches, players and fans are encouraged to wear pink or add a touch of pink to their green gear, to show support for the annual event and its cause. Local survivors will be honored during the game.

Enter to win a UNT T-shirt and lapel pin by sending an e-mail to InHouse with “Pink” in the subject line by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. Winners will be selected at random from all responses.

The women’s team is attracting national attention for its improved play. The team struggled in 2010-11, but now is ranked second nationally for best turnaround with a 16-10 record, and has the nation’s second most improved defense.

Head Coach Karen Aston is seeking her 100^th victory as a head coach Feb. 9 at Florida International, while junior Jasmine Godbolt became the 13^th Mean Green player to score 1,000 points Feb. 2.

The season's remaining home games for the Mean Green are:

• 7 p.m., Feb. 15 - women versus University of Louisiana-Monroe
• 7 p.m., Feb. 16 - men versus University of Louisiana-Monroe
• 1 p.m., Feb. 18 - women versus University of Louisiana-Lafayette
• 3:30 p.m., Feb. 18 - men versus University of Louisiana-Lafayette

The Sun Belt Conference tournament will be March 3-6 in Hot Springs, Ark. The winner earns a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Mean Green men won in 2010 and were in the championship game in 2011, ending their season on a heart-breaking last second basket to give Arkansas-Little Rock the title.  

• Learn more about all Mean Green sports, find schedules, buy tickets.
• Listen to games on the Mean Green Radio Network.

More than 150 colleges and universities schedule an annual basketball game to raise funds. Both the V Foundation, named for Jim Valvano, former head coach at North Carolina State University, and the Yow fund, named for North Carolina State women’s coach Kay Yow, support cancer treatment research. Valvano, whose team won the national championship in 1983, died of cancer in 1993. Yow, who led her team to the NCAA Final Four in 1998, died in 2009.

The Mean Green softball team also schedules a Play for Kay game to raise funds for cancer research. The game honors Athletics employee and cancer survivor Kay Johnson. The 2012 game will be May 2.

Above, the 2011 Pink Zone game; below, senior Tamara Torru. (Photos by Rick Yeatts)