Women's Basketball Hosts Eckerd on Pink Out Day

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University women's basketball team will hold its annual Pink Out game Saturday at 5:30 p.m. when the Buccaneers host Eckerd in a key Sunshine State Conference battle at Health & Sports Center.

The Buccaneers will wear pink shirts, as will game day staff to support breast cancer awareness and other forms of the disease for men and women.

"Our women's team and coaching staff are wearing pink shirts in recognition of all those survivors and suffering," Barry assistant coach Emer Foley said.

Fans are encouraged to wear pink to support cancer awareness.

Barry men's head coach Cesar Odio is currently battling leukemia for a second time. His foundation, the Cesar Odio Leukemia Foundation, can be supported by visiting https://www.facebook.com/CesarOdioLeukemiaFoundation.

The Buccaneers (12-9, 4-8 SSC) are coming off a tough loss at Lynn Wednesday. They host a hot Eckerd team (10-10, 6-6) that has won its last two road games, including knocking off the then-No. 1 team in the league Nova Southeastern. Barry lost to the Tritons by four in the first meeting this season in St. Petersburg.

Eckerd returns leading scorer Annie Armstrong to the lineup. She did not play against the Bucs in the first meeting. Armstrong is averaging 11.8 points per game. Liga Vente is averaging 11 points and 5.5 rebounds, and Krystal Charles is scoring 10.9 points and pulling down 8.1 rebounds, which ranks second in the SSC. Charles had 16 points and 15 boards against the Bucs in the 72-68 win last month.

"Eckerd is hot right now," Foley said. "They had a great win against Tampa on Wednesday. I think our girls are fired up. They realize the importance of these last few games we have. I think losing a close game against Lynn has put a burning urgency in them.

"Everything's kind of coming down to the wire. We're trying to get ourselves out of the bottom (of the conference) so we can try to prevent playing the No. 1 seed (in the SSC tournament Mar. 6). I think our girls are starting to realize that we've proven that we can hold our own with any of the teams in the conference."

Watch the game on the Bucs Broadcast Network. Mike Laderman will handle the call. Follow the game via LIVE STATS.