With October recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Bison women’s basketball team hosted the 2012 ‘Shoot For The Cure’ invitational tournament in support for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation this past weekend. This year will mark the fifth year the Bison women’s team has put on the event.

Organized by the CIS Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the ‘Shoot For The Cure’ campaign has raised over a half-million dollars in donations since its inception in 2007.

The highlight of the Bisons’ tournament occurred Saturday, on a night that was dubbed the “Pack The Place Pink Night.” The Bisons wore honourary pink jerseys in their game against the U of Winnipeg Wesmen.

All gate revenue from Saturday’s games are to be donated towards breast cancer research, including sales of pink and black t-shirts that the Bison players have been selling around campus over the past couple weeks.

Enthusiasm for the ‘Shoot for the Cure’ cause has spread beyond the women’s basketball team, as Bison football players used pink laces and tape in their game on Saturday.

According to co-head coach Michele Hynes, the ‘Shoot For The Cure’ tournament isn’t the only event the players are planning in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The players are planning to continue collecting donations until February.

Beyond the donations and good will, there were also games to be played. The Wesmen were the big winners, winning all three games including a 73-47 win over the Bisons.

The games were all non-conference matches—the Bisons’ Canada West season doesn’t start until Nov. 2—but despite being the hosts among the four teams competing, the Bisons finished the tournament 0-3. Two non-conference pre-season games remain (against Dickinson State University) before the Bisons tip off the 2012 season on the road against the University of Calgary Nov. 2 and 3.