DePaul University Athletics
Friday, February 8
McGrath-Phillips Arena
7:00 P.M. CT
DePaul University
vs
Villanova
DePaul Faces Villanova Friday in Play4Kay Game
2/7/2019 3:00:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
BIG EAST showdown includes tribute to inspirational coach Kay Yow
CHICAGO – There will be some emotional moments Friday night when DePaul takes on BIG EAST rival Villanova in the annual Play4Kay game at McGrath-Phillips Arena that will be televised by NBC Sports Chicago Plus.
The Blue Demons will be honoring legendary North Carolina State coach Kay Yow who inspired the world of women's basketball with her gutsy and courageous 22-year public battle against breast cancer.
Coaching her beloved Wolfpack until the end, Yow passed away in January of 2009 leaving behind a lasting legacy of more than 700 wins in an iconic 38-year collegiate career that included an NCAA Final Four in 1998.
A powerful advocate for those fighting the insidious disease, Yow's vision to provide hope and extend the quality of life for cancer patients has resulted in more than $5 million being raised by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund since 2007 for advanced research and awareness programs focusing on women's cancers and helping the underserved.
Video tributes to Yow will be shown during the game and a DePaul student cancer survivor will deliver the game ball before tipoff.
All fans will be given a pink T-shirt symbolizing the initiative to help eradicate one of the leading causes of death in the USA. DePaul students will receive two "I Cheer For" cards, one in support of women's track and field athlete Sabrina Olsen and men's basketball manager Aameer Sahi who are battling cancer.
Before the fourth quarter, there will be a moment of silence and recognition when players and coaches from both teams and the entire McGrath-Phillips Arena crowd will stand and hold up their "I Cheer For" cards with the name of a family member, friend or work colleague fighting the good fight alongside Olsen and Sahi.
During the third quarter, six DePaul students will compete in a "Free Throw Challenge" to unlock different levels of Blue Demon coach Doug Bruno's donation to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Although Bruno's team and the visiting Wildcats will spend most of Friday night scratching and clawing at one another in a highly competitive conflict, there will be moments when they realize they are united in this battle against cancer.
The Blue Demons (15-7, 6-4) are seeking to bring the same high energy and intensity they exhibited in last Sunday's hard-fought 93-87 loss to No. 8/7 Marquette in what turned out to be their best performance of the BIG EAST season so far.
The visitors from the Philadelphia area will encounter a DePaul team that leads the nation in three-pointers, three-point attempts and threes per game. Bruno's ball club is also No. 5 in the country in free throw percentage, No. 7 in assists and assists per game, No. 8 in scoring offense and No. 20 in assist-turnover ratio.
Junior point guard Kelly Campbell is No. 12 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio while teammate Ashton Millender is No. 18 in three-point attempts and No. 25 in three-pointers.
Chante Stonewall leads the attack averaging 14 points a game. Millender is scoring 13.4 points a game and Mart'e Grays is contributing 13.2 points per game.
Villanova (15-7, 6-5) arrives in Lincoln Park riding a four-game BIG EAST winning streak. The Wildcats swept Seton Hall and St. John's on the road---no easy task---and came home to take care of Providence and Creighton.
Mary Gedaka leads the team averaging 14.2 points and 7.3 rebounds and is also tops in field goal percentage. Kelly Jekot is averaging 13.8 points and is shooting .413 from three-point range. Adrianna Hahn is scoring at a 12.2 clip. Coach Harry Perretta's defensive-minded ball club is holding opponents to an average of 58.4 points a game.
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The Blue Demons will be honoring legendary North Carolina State coach Kay Yow who inspired the world of women's basketball with her gutsy and courageous 22-year public battle against breast cancer.
Coaching her beloved Wolfpack until the end, Yow passed away in January of 2009 leaving behind a lasting legacy of more than 700 wins in an iconic 38-year collegiate career that included an NCAA Final Four in 1998.
A powerful advocate for those fighting the insidious disease, Yow's vision to provide hope and extend the quality of life for cancer patients has resulted in more than $5 million being raised by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund since 2007 for advanced research and awareness programs focusing on women's cancers and helping the underserved.
Video tributes to Yow will be shown during the game and a DePaul student cancer survivor will deliver the game ball before tipoff.
All fans will be given a pink T-shirt symbolizing the initiative to help eradicate one of the leading causes of death in the USA. DePaul students will receive two "I Cheer For" cards, one in support of women's track and field athlete Sabrina Olsen and men's basketball manager Aameer Sahi who are battling cancer.
Before the fourth quarter, there will be a moment of silence and recognition when players and coaches from both teams and the entire McGrath-Phillips Arena crowd will stand and hold up their "I Cheer For" cards with the name of a family member, friend or work colleague fighting the good fight alongside Olsen and Sahi.
During the third quarter, six DePaul students will compete in a "Free Throw Challenge" to unlock different levels of Blue Demon coach Doug Bruno's donation to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Although Bruno's team and the visiting Wildcats will spend most of Friday night scratching and clawing at one another in a highly competitive conflict, there will be moments when they realize they are united in this battle against cancer.
The Blue Demons (15-7, 6-4) are seeking to bring the same high energy and intensity they exhibited in last Sunday's hard-fought 93-87 loss to No. 8/7 Marquette in what turned out to be their best performance of the BIG EAST season so far.
The visitors from the Philadelphia area will encounter a DePaul team that leads the nation in three-pointers, three-point attempts and threes per game. Bruno's ball club is also No. 5 in the country in free throw percentage, No. 7 in assists and assists per game, No. 8 in scoring offense and No. 20 in assist-turnover ratio.
Junior point guard Kelly Campbell is No. 12 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio while teammate Ashton Millender is No. 18 in three-point attempts and No. 25 in three-pointers.
Chante Stonewall leads the attack averaging 14 points a game. Millender is scoring 13.4 points a game and Mart'e Grays is contributing 13.2 points per game.
Villanova (15-7, 6-5) arrives in Lincoln Park riding a four-game BIG EAST winning streak. The Wildcats swept Seton Hall and St. John's on the road---no easy task---and came home to take care of Providence and Creighton.
Mary Gedaka leads the team averaging 14.2 points and 7.3 rebounds and is also tops in field goal percentage. Kelly Jekot is averaging 13.8 points and is shooting .413 from three-point range. Adrianna Hahn is scoring at a 12.2 clip. Coach Harry Perretta's defensive-minded ball club is holding opponents to an average of 58.4 points a game.
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Players Mentioned
Guard
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Forward
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Guard
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Forward
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