Lady Pirates go pink

Playing for more than just baskets this weekend, the Lady Pirates donned pink jerseys on Saturday as part of a fundraiser to find a cure for breast cancer. In back-to-back home games against Corvallis and Whitefish, the Pirates came out in support of former North Carolina State head coach Kay Yow’s Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Cancer Fund.

The team also sold T-shirts displaying “shooting for a cure,” which have been purchased by local businesses and fans at both games in support of cancer research.

Kay Yow passed away last week, according to Polson head coach Randy Kelley. In her memory, and with two of the Lady Pirates’ mothers currently battling breast cancer, the Lady Pirates wore pink with pride and played with the same passion.

Downing Corvallis 50-35 the first night, then fighting off Whitefish 68-46 in pink on Saturday, the Pirates met the fans’ support of the cause by rewarding them with a great show on the court.

Against Corvallis, the leading Lady Pirate scorer was senior Amanda James, who originally approached Randy with the idea to play in pink. James tallied 13 points in her effort, hitting three 3-point shots in the third quarter to give her team a 9-point lead going into the fourth. Sophomore Breanne Kelley had 11 points and led with seven rebounds in the win. 

The following night, pink jerseys and T-shirts weren’t the only change in the Pirate program.        

Coming out to play a 2-3 zone for the first time, the Lady Pirates neutralized the Whitefish attack.

“I thought we came out and played pretty well in the 2-3 zone since that’s the first time they’ve played it,” Randy said.

The zone not only slowed down the Bulldog offense, but fueled the Polson quick-strike attack, resulting in a number of transition layups.

The Pirates shot 25-47 overall and also managed to make 17-27 at the line, an improvement over their season average.

Randy played all 13 girls and all 13 scored in the game.

Senior Rochelle Woods led with 11, senior Cali Hislop and sophomore Sierra Pete each scored eight, and junior Nicole Davey and senior Sarah Newton collected seven baskets apiece.

Randy felt the fundraiser was a success, saying his team sold over 500 shirts for the cause. He was also pleased with the way his girls played basketball.

“The girls responded well and played well in the pink jerseys,” he said. “We might have to wear them more often.”

The Lady Pirates played at Bigfork on Tuesday, and play at 4:15 p.m. tonight at Stevensville.