The women’s basketball game on Sunday afternoon was anything but normal.

It was only coach Kay Yow’s second game back after missing 16 consecutive games.

It was the team’s second annual Hoops for Hope game — attracting spectators such as new football coach Tom O’Brien, Athletic Director Lee Fowler, former N.C. State linebacker and former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher and a plethora of other Wolfpack athletes.

And it was State’s second-straight ACC win — this time a 64-46 smashing against Boston College in Reynolds Coliseum.

But most importantly, for Yow and the fans, it was a game which brought about cancer awareness.

“This was such an emotional game, of course for me,” Yow said. “With the hope, Hoops for Hope, that’s exactly what it’s about. It’s having hope — research gives hope. If you’re not raising money and doing research, you’re just staying the same.”

Saturday and Sunday entailed an entire weekend of activities for Yow, current players, former players and staff. After the Wolfpack practiced early Saturday morning, the team held an alumni game at 11 a.m., which Yow said was “really fun to watch.”

Afterwards, the team went to the football stadium, where it held a reception at the Dail Club that night.

“Former players really set most all of this up,” Yow said. “We got the food for them. They did the program and everything. We did all of that, so I had a really busy day [Saturday] — much more busy than a normal day before a game.”

Senior guard Ashley Key said the whole weekend was fun for current players because it allowed them to see many of Yow’s former players.

“It was a huge family reunion,” Key said. “To see players that you’ve heard stories about, to see people from the Final Four team, to see those who paved the way for us to be here. It’s been an experience and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.”

Before the game, when Yow entered the coliseum, she said she was overwhelmed with all of the fan support.

During halftime, breast cancer survivors from various numbers of years walked onto the court — each behind a sign that listed the number of years they had survived the disease. The signs ranged from ‘Under 1,’ ‘1-4,’ ‘5-9,’ ’10-14,’ ’15-19′ to ’20+.’

The gathering was something Yow said was very inspirational to all cancer survivors.

“When I came up to the floor, I just saw this sea of people and the pink, and the support,” Yow said to the crowd after the game. “I heard halftime was tremendous. Every one of the survivors and people battling cancer right now, [I] appreciate your attendance at this game so much.”