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Northwest Guilford girls basketball head coach Darlene Joyner has been to her share of big-time summer basketball camps. Most of the time, the college coaches everyone comes to see give a speech at the start, then are only spotted again if they're buttering up the best players in attendance.

Not Kay Yow.

"You would see her 24/7," Joyner said. "She always made a point to make all the girls feel special."

The Vikings dedicated Tuesday's game against Page to Yow, the longtime N.C. State women's basketball coach who died last week after a courageous public battle with breast cancer. The teams raised $350 for the Kay Yow Fund, and the Vikings who attended Yow's camp this summer wore the pink T-shirts she signed for them during warm-ups.

Tributes to Yow have sprung up across the area. McMichael's girls wore pink shoelaces against West Stokes on Friday night. Eastern Guilford will take donations at its game against Reidsville tonight. Wesleyan and Bishop McGuinness are among several schools who will take part in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's "Think Pink" initiative in mid-February. Wesleyan will also host a benefit dinner to aid cancer research.

"Teams are coming together to pay tribute to such a special lady," Joyner said.

VIKINGS LAYING SIEGE: Joyner has every reason to be pleased with what's been happening on the floor, as well. The Vikings have recovered from a loss to Ragsdale in the Pizza Hut Invitational finals to open the conference season 6-0 and gain a two-game lead on everyone else in the Metro 4-A.

That's come even after a season-ending torn ACL for Kelly Arnaud, one of two seniors on the team and a girl who Joyner said "played bigger than she was because she did all the little things so well."

"They're gelling really well right now," Joyner said.

FALCONS HOLD TOGETHER: Southeast Guilford could use a hand. Preferably Amy Beasley's.

The Falcons' star point guard, who was averaging about 14 points and seven assists per game when she fractured her non-shooting wrist earlier in the season, hopes to have her cast removed this week, head coach Shawyn Newton said. Beasley has been suiting up with the team every game, but has yet to be cleared by officials because of the hard cast on her thumb. Doctors have suggested working out the hand with putty to help rebuild strength.

"It shouldn't take her too long to get back," Newton said.

The Falcons have held it together admirably in her absence, going 9-2 before consecutive defeats last week. The first one was the killer, a 54-43 loss at Ragsdale that erased Southeast's three-point win over the Tigers earlier in the season. They're a game behind in the Mid-Piedmont 3-A standings now but could get another shot at Ragsdale in the conference tournament, just in time for Beasley to lend a hand.

"That's our motivator," Newton said.

MORE RAGSDALE: The Tigers booster club will host its annual reverse raffle March 14 at the High Point Elks Lodge. Call president Ron Kiser at 510-0922 for details.

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com