On Saturday, Jan. 26, in Allen Arena, the Lady Bisons basketball team played a game to improve their record in conference play. They also held an event to honor women’s basketball legend Pat Summitt.
Pat Summitt was the head coach of the Lady Vols of the University of Tennessee for 38 years and is the overall winningest NCAA coach of men’s or women’s basketball on all levels.
Last week (Jan. 13-20) marked the second “We Back Pat” week. Throughout the SEC, every women’s basketball team has played one home game that is dedicated to raising awareness and recognition for the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund.
This foundation was founded on Nov. 27, 2011, launched by Summitt after she was diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type at the age of 59. The funds raised are sent to nonprofits that provide support to those suffering from Alzheimer’s. The overall mission is to advance research for preventing and a cure.
Senior basketball player Hannah Phillips said that Pat Summitt was a childhood inspiration of hers.
“Pat Summitt was my idol growing up,” Phillips said, “I wanted to be a Lady Vol.”
Attendance to this event was crucial for raising the necessary funds. According to freshman Alex Banks, each women’s basketball player penned hand-written letters to alumni inviting them to come to the game. She also mentioned utilizing social media sites as a promotion tool. The final tally of those in attendance was 1,434.
The shirts that were given out at the game to the first 300 fans are ones that look very familiar around the SEC. Colors and logos change from school to school, but every university is united under the “We Back Pat” banner.
For SEC schools, this is a weeklong event; however, for this year at least, Lipscomb decided on just doing a game.
Phillips noted the importance of the event being held on Lipscomb’s campus.
“We are the first mid-major Division I school to do anything like this so we just did a game,” Phillips said.
“It’s a big deal for a non-SEC school to get to this,” Banks added.
The Lady Bison took on the Mercer Bears, and although the team lost, 100 percent of ticket sales went directly to the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund.
If you would like to learn more about the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund, or would like to donate to the cause, visit http://www.patsummitt.org.