Pitt gears up for Pink the Pete

It was this time last year that the Panthers were preparing for their first ever Pink the… It was this time last year that the Panthers were preparing for their first ever Pink the Petersen, a game to raise awareness for breast cancer, against Connecticut. The Panthers fell to Connecticut 90-64, with attendance for the game exceeding 5,000. But it was what happened prior to last season that made the breast cancer awareness event extra special. On Oct. 3, 2007, Pitt forward Sophronia Sallard found out her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. ‘We gave her space for a while,’ said Zellous. ‘We said, ‘We’ll always be here for you. If you need anything, we’ll be there for you.” Deborah Sallard passed away from the disease just five days after she was diagnosed. Sophronia Sallard, one of seven children, has taken some of the responsibility of raising her younger siblings herself. ‘You know how they say, you don’t want to grow up too soon, but I’m pretty much a parent now,’ said Sallard. ‘I have the three younger ones, they’re 15, 14 and 12. It’s been a year, so I’m sort of getting used to it, but basically, I’m being a mom.’ Sallard, a Syracuse native, never had the chance to visit her mother’s grave until this season when Pitt played the Orange on Jan. 24. After the game, Sallard asked Pitt coach Agnus Berenato to visit her mother’s grave. ‘She said she was finally ready to go to the grave, and she said that we could come if we wanted to,’ said Berenato, whose mother passed away from breast cancer, as well. ‘I gave everyone the option, and every single person on that bus walked about a half-mile, in the blistering cold, with ice and snow everywhere to gather around this girl. To see our team and staff and the raw emotion, that’s just the greatest thing about being on a team.’ Sallard thanked the entire bus upon arriving in Pittsburgh for their support. ‘It was crazy, there were so many people there ‘mdash; the team, my brothers and sisters, you couldn’t imagine anything like that,’ said Sallard. Sallard’s story gives the Panthers a little something extra to play for on Saturday. ‘I would love to spread the awareness especially with how that happened to my mother,’ said Sallard. The game takes place Saturday against Cincinnati, with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m. The Panthers and UPMC HealthPlan are joining with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for the second annual Pink the Petersen. Pitt will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a national foundation for breast cancer research, for every ticket sold. Students can claim their ticket online just as they would claim a men’s basketball ticket. As with all Pitt women’s basketball games, tickets are free and are worth four loyalty points. The first 1,000 students will receive a free pink T-shirt and entry into the Petersen Events Center at 12:30 p.m. for various activities such as face painting and poster making. Also, Oakland Zoo members have the option of staying in their seats through the Pitt men’s basketball game against DePaul at 7 p.m. Those students would have to present their men’s and women’s game tickets when they arrive for the women’s contest. ‘We’re going to keep the concessions open for [the students] and let them hang out in their seats instead of lining up outside,’ said Pitt’s assistant event presentation coordinator Andrew Berenato. ‘We’ll probably put up the [North Carolina]-Maryland men’s game on the screen for them to watch.’ Fans are asked to join the Pitt players and coaches in wearing pink in support of the efforts. ‘We’re proud the Oakland Zoo is behind us,’ said Pitt senior Xenia Stewart. No. 19-ranked Pitt (19-5, 9-3 Big East) enters the game on a high note. The Panthers rebounded after a 95-42 loss to No. 1 Connecticut on Sunday to beat Villanova 70-54 Wednesday night. Senior guard Shavonte Zellous scored 23 points while Shayla Scott sunk two 3-pointers during a late 11-0 run to seal the win. Pitt is focused on a Bearcats team (13-12, 3-9 Big East) looking for a must-win game in a crowded Big East. ‘Cincinnati is a very important game,’ said Zellous. ‘We have to box them out on the offensive end because they crash the boards.’ The Panthers are looking for their fourth consecutive 20-win season on Saturday. But a victory would mean more than a stat to some of the Panthers.