Photo from siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Saluki women’s basketball head coach Cindy Stein, in partnership with Northern Iowa head coach Tanya Warren, has pledged to donate $25 to the Beyond Pink TEAM for each three-pointer that their respective teams make as part of UNI’s Pink Out Game on Sunday, Feb. 9 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
The Beyond Pink TEAM is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide breast cancer prevention, education, support and advocacy for comprehensive, quality care for all in the Cedar Valley and surrounding communities.
An assistant coach on Stein’s staff at Missouri from 2001 to 2004, Warren took over as head coach at Northern Iowa prior to the 2007-08 season and is currently the longest tenured head coach in the Missouri Valley Conference. The program’s all-time winningest coach, Warren first got the idea to donate to charities for each three-pointer eight years ago. Last season’s Pink Out game saw the Panthers hit 15 three-pointers in a 95-46 win over Evansville.
“I was reading and came across something similar,” Warren said of how the idea came about. “Our pink game was coming up against Creighton. We all have been or know someone who has been impacted. So I thought how could we not only recognize survivors but also raise money for a great cause. It has been a part of our pink game ever since.”
Stein, in her seventh season as head coach at SIU, jumped at the chance to get involved alongside Warren.
“When Tanya approached me about this opportunity, I thought it was a great idea,” Stein said. “We want to do what we can to help promote awareness. It’s a great cause and we hope to raise much-needed funds for the Beyond Pink TEAM.”
Sunday’s Pink Out Game will mark the 16th meeting between the Panthers and Salukis during Stein’s tenure. In the previous 15 meetings, the Panthers average 6.1 three-pointers per game while the Salukis average 3.1 three-pointers per game. Southern, however, has made six treys in back-to-back games against UNI and made 7-for-10 against the Panthers in a 79-75 win on Feb. 8, 2015. Stein is hopeful for a repeat of that performance on Sunday.
“I hope that I will have to pay out a lot of money,” Stein said with a grin.
The Panthers and Salukis will tip-off at the McLeod Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Press release first featured on siusalukis.com
