While the college basketball community mourned the loss of the legendary Kay Yow to cancer during the day on January 24, two Division II teams played an emotionally charged game that night.

Yow’s younger sister, Susan, who coaches the Belmont Abbey women’s team, visited Queens (North Carolina), coached by Trudi Lacey, who played for Kay Yow at North Carolina State.

“I felt Trudi’s team was playing for (Kay’s) interests tonight,” said Susan Yow. “I thought we were, too, maybe over-trying.”

“It was a very emotional day,” said Lacey.

In the end, Belmont Abbey overcame an 18-point deficit to win, 64-62.

After Belmont Abbey rallied to tie the game with about four minutes to play, the two teams traded leads before Asha Hardaway made one of two free throws for the final score. Queens missed a long three-pointer in the waning seconds.

“We won tonight – we may not have been the better team, but we figured it out,” said Yow.

After the game, both coaches were asked if they had thought about not playing. While their answers were different, they did agree on one thing.

“Kay would have wanted us to be coaching tonight,” they said.

-Courtesy Queens Sports Information Director Sarah Hauck