Lady Lions to hold 10th annual Pink Zone Game against Michigan

For the Penn State women’s basketball team, the Pink Zone game is now a beloved 10-year tradition and one in which the team owns a 6-3 record, while having raised more $1.3 million in the process (including a record $310,000 in 2014).

For forward Peyton Whitted, the game always holds personal meaning.

“My grandmother had breast cancer throughout my high school years,” said Whitted. “Fortunately she was able to survive, you know she fought it for three or four years.

“We had to move (my grandparents) from Tennessee (my grandfather was also struggling with lung cancer at the time), and we moved both of them back in (to my parents’ house) to take care of them.”

Whitted’s grandmother, Lillie McKinley, will be in attendance at Sunday’s game, a 2 p.m. matchup against Michigan in the Bryce Jordan Center, along with 700 other breast cancer survivors. The Pink Zone game was created by Penn State in 2007 and now has a five-year streak going in which the charitable effort has raised over $200,000 per year.

“This game is just really special to me because I think about my grandmother,” said Whitted. “You know, she’ll be here and will be able to watch this and it’s just great to see all of the other survivors along with her.

“It’s a great feeling, but it also makes you feel reflective and thankful that you’re able to do what you love.”

Whitted said her grandmother’s love and support — and her chicken and dressing — make her feel blessed each time she sees her.

On the court, Penn State (6-10, 1-4) is trying to climb out of a four-game slump in conference play. After cutting a 20-point deficit and narrowly losing to Wisconsin last week, the Lady Lions hope to finally see victory over Michigan (10-6, 2-3).

Sophomore guard Katelyn Flaherty will present yet another tough guard challenge for Penn State’s triple-headed rotation of Lindsey Spann, Teniya Page and Brianna Banks.

Flaherty is No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 11 nationally in scoring with an average of 22.1 points per game. She’s complemented by a tough matchup down low, as Hallie Thome averages 11.9 points per game and 1.3 blocked shots per game. The Lady Lions have tried to keep their post play fresh by rotating in and out centers Candace Agee and true freshman Ashanti Thomas throughout previous games, and against Thome that will likely be no different.

The game will be available to viewers on BTN2go and to listeners on 1390 AM.

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Lady Lions to hold 10th annual Pink Zone Game against Michigan."