The women’s basketball team has played for their coach, Kay Yow, each game for the last 34 years. Tonight, Yow’s inspiration means more than ever. N.C. State (8-11, 0-4 ACC) faces Boston College (16-4, 4-1 ACC) at 7.pm. in Reynolds Coliseum in their first contest since the passing of their beloved and legendary coach.
When asked about her expectations for the game, interim head coach Stephanie Glance pulled Shayla Fields and Tia Bell tight to her sides and said “we have no idea — we just don’t know.”
“We’re going to put forth our best effort on the court because coach Yow would want us to do that,” Glance said. “We’re going to walk through this moment by moment and day by day as best we can as a group of people that find ourselves in a very difficult situation. But we’re going to stick together, and I know that would be her greatest expectation.”
The Wolfpack leads the Eagles 4-2 in the all-time series. The previous game resulted in a 60-41 win in Reynolds Feb. 10, 2008. State looks to avoid its first 0-5 start in the ACC since the 2003-04 season.
Senior Shayla Fields and junior Nikitta Gartrell continue to lead the ACC as the top scoring backcourt in the conference. The duo also leads the ACC in minutes played. Fields is currently second in the conference in scoring, tallying 334 points in 19 games.
Boston College is No. 2 in the ACC with a field goal percentage of .452, while State remains in last place at .381. The Pack has lost six games by only six points or less, including three of the previous five games.
While it is always a goal for the team to put forth its best effort on the court, Fields will be searching for a win in honor of Yow.
“A perfect night for Thursday would be the fans supporting us, just as they would if Coach Yow were here,” Fields said. “And us going out, playing a hard fought game and coming out with a victory.”
But win or lose, Glance knows that Yow would take pride in her team.
“Whatever the result of that may be, she would just want us to do our best,” Glance said.
Sophomore Tia Bell has found a special way to honor Yow. She already has “Coach Yow” written on her shoes, but she is using the soft cast on her right arm as a special memorial.
“I’m going to go through my regular game routine. I have to cover this cast up, and I plan on putting her name in the palm of my hand to remind me of what we’re fighting for and what we’re representing,” Bell said. “I’m going to give a 110-percent effort just like she would, just like she did.”
Tonight’s game will not be the first time Yow has been absent from the Wolfpack sidelineóshe missed four games in, 16 in 2006-07 and has not coached this season since the Dec. 20 matchup against Seton Hall. But it will be the first game since Yow died Jan. 24.
