Pink pom-poms sparkled in the hands of the dance team. Pink whistles dangled from the necks of the officials. Pink shoelaces held together the shoes of Boston College’s players. Pink signs were sprinkled throughout the stands. White and pink uniforms covered the backs of Wolfpack players. At the top of each one was a single name: Yow.
Reynolds Coliseum, traditionally a red arena, was overcome with the color pink last night as people came out to be a part of the first women’s basketball game since the passing of legendary coach Kay Yow.
“I think it is good to see this support for a hero that died,” Brad Frenier, a senior in business management, said.
This support was more than just seen however. It echoed from the walls of Reynolds Coliseum as Wolfpack fans cheered for their team from tip-off until the final buzzer rang. Facing an overwhelming halftime deficit, this vocal support helped spur a tremendous comeback by the Wolfpack.
“You could definitely tell that the women were a little more pumped up and felt that they had a little bit more to play with,” Frenier said.
Senior guard Shayla Fields agreed.
“I got very emotional at the end of the game because I was so happy that the fans stayed and cheered us on even though we were down by so many points,” Fields said. ”The fans led our comeback and they inspired us to keep going and to keep fighting.”
“The crowd was unbelievable,” interim head coach Stephanie Glance said. “That really spurred them on in the second half. The crowd’s involvement and the crowd’s support, that gives us momentum. It was tremendous. The crowd literally enabled us to come back.”
Bobby Mills, senior in economics, said the comeback was reflective of how Yow never gave up.
“I know they probably haven’t thought about basketball until tonight probably and it was just awesome to see us make that comeback,” Mills said. “I had the privilege of meeting Yow personally. No one has ever touched me as she did in those couple of seconds.”
The tremendous support last night made many students proud to be a part of Wolfpack nation. These students hoped that the support attributed to Yow never stops.
“Hopefully all of this support will carry over into the UNC game and everyone will continue to show their support for the team and Kay Yow,” Frenier said.
Senior Allison Presnell said, “Everybody’s rallying behind the team. It’s not just N.C. State impacted. It’s the whole community.”
