The Purdue University women’s basketball team has been on a roll since opening the season with two losses in a season-opening tournament hosted by the University of Maine.
The Boilermakers, coached by former Black Bears head coach Sharon Versyp, finished the season winning seven of their last eight games, the only loss coming to Maryland in the Big 10 championship game.
Versyp has continued to direct Purdue’s fortunes despite dealing with breast cancer.
According to a Sporting News report, Versyp, 51, was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, an early form of breast cancer, almost two weeks ago.
But the Boilermakers’ coach did not miss a single game after the diagnosis, and the report said she underwent her first operation two days before Purdue opened the Big 10 tourney against Illinois.
According to a report in the Indianapolis Star, Versyp did not inform her players until Monday, a day after the Boilers fell to Maryland in the conference title game.
“I was very strong, but they were in shock,” Versyp told the Indy Star. “I told them, ‘I’m going to be fine.’”
Purdue will learn its NCAA tournament fate on March 13, and Versyp told the Indy Star she has no intention on missing any of the Boilers’ postseason games.
Versyp isn’t the only Boilermaker with Black Bear ties to be affected by cancer.
Longtime UMaine field hockey coach Terry Kix, who serves as the Director of Operations for Versyp’s program, battled stomach cancer.
Kix will celebrate her fourth year in remission in April.
“The cancer battle was real tough but it reiterates what’s really important in life,” Kix said in a previous BDN report.
Versyp coached at UMaine from 2000-2005 and compiled a 98-51 record while leading the Black Bears to three America East regular-season championships and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2004.
Versyp signed a six-year contract extension last summer that will keep her at Purdue through the 2021-2022 season.
