Northwestern would rather have won Thursday night against Indiana, but even a losing effort might help others win the battle against breast cancer.

In the third annual Pink Zone event, held by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, the Wildcats donned pink jerseys – along with pink headbands, socks and pink-striped shoes – to help raise breast cancer awareness. It is the second year NU has participated in the event, formerly known as “Think Pink,” which raised $930,000 for breast cancer awareness last year.

“When you coach women’s basketball, you certainly understand that this is something that is a killer,” coach Joe McKeown said. “Anything we can do to create awareness, raise money, I’ll certainly support as best I can.”

Since starting with only 120 schools participating in 2007, the program has expanded rapidly. This year, more than 1,250 schools and organizations are involved, according to the WBCA website.

Although the jerseys were a little big, and each player had to roll up their shorts waistband a couple times, the Cats did more than just look pretty in pink. Each jersey will be auctioned off with part of the proceeds going toward the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

NU also added a little local flavor to the event. In conjunction with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, NU declared Thursday night’s game “Women’s Health Night.” Healthcare professionals were on hand an hour before tip off to conduct free health screenings.

Freshman forward Brittany Orban, who described herself as a “pink person,” said she’s excited that her pink jersey will be auctioned off for a good cause, but doesn’t want to say goodbye to it just yet. So she’s developed a solution.

“I think my parents have decided they’re going to make the donation to buy them, so I’ll get to see them every now and then,” Orban said. “Hopefully wear the shorts – they’re really comfortable.”

The Pink Zone event has taken on more significance and publicity recently with the death of North Carolina State coach Kay Yow last month. Yow had been at the forefront of the breast cancer cause since she was diagnosed with the disease in 1987. But she inspired many when, after her cancer returned in 2004, she continued to coach while undergoing chemotherapy.

McKeown and Yow were longtime friends, so he doesn’t mind wearing a pink shirt, even though he admitted it’s not the best color on him.

“I saw her on the road this summer a little bit recruiting, just once or twice, and that’s probably the last time – this summer,” said McKeown, who was one of 1,400 at Yow’s funeral at the end of January. “I just hate to see that. She was trying to coach after chemotherapy. Unbelievable courage.”

And while most of NU’s players never met Yow, many, like Orban, are inspired by her story.

“We have life pretty easy,” Orban said. “We have to think about everyday we go on the floor, we’re not dying of cancer. We just have to go out and love what we’re doing, and she did it her entire life. She sacrificed time she could be spending with her family to coach, and that was a great cause.”

zacharybuchanan2007

@u.northwestern.edu