09/30/2009
General: New England Hoops Hall of Fame Opens Its Doors To Clark

Worcester, Mass. - Two of Clark University's most prominent women's basketball figures along with one the institution's most dedicated alums will be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, it was recently announced.

Head coach Patricia Glispin, former student-athlete Tara McGuire '89 and former Clark director of athletics and coach, Russ Granger '38, will join an elite group of inductees to be honored in a ceremony slated for October 9 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

"This is a tremendous honor for Pat, Tara, and the Granger Family," said Clark director of athletics, Linda Moulton. "Pat and Tara are two of the cornerstones of the wonderful tradition of success our women's basketball program has enjoyed here at Clark and Russ' long standing contributions to the athletics program including his commitment to the founding of the High School Tournament make them well deserved honorees.

Glispin, the two-time NEWMAC Coach of the Year (1997, 2004), has spent 25 years on the Clark sidelines and has piled up more than 400 wins - one of only four Division III coaches in New England to accomplish that feat. Along the way she has won three regular season NEWMAC Championships, four NEWMAC Tournament titles and three ECAC New England crowns.

Her teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament on seven separate occasions, and she has recorded 11 seasons of 20 wins or more.

The 1988-89 season might have one of Glispin's best coaching performances as her squad went a perfect 26-0 in the regular season, capturing the NCAA Northeast Region Championship and advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals.

"I am extremely grateful to all of my players who have helped me along the way," said Glispin. "The people of Worcester and the Clark family have been an unbelievable part of helping me grow as a person and as a coach, so I am truly humbled by this gracious honor."

McGuire was a key cog in one of the most successful stretches in program history. An all-region performer, McGuire helped the Cougars set a Division III record with 36 straight wins and emerge as one the premier programs in the country. Her 1,631 career points are third most in school history and she still holds the school record for free throws attempted in a career (832). During her four-year career, Clark went a combined 81-26 and had three seasons of at least 20 wins, including a school-record 28 in 1988-89.

Granger, meanwhile, was associated with the Clark Basketball Tournament for 47 years and inducted into the Clark University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994. He had been a member and chairman of numerous NCAA and ECAC committees and a past president of the New England College Conference.

Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased online via the New England Basketball Hall of Fame website at internationalsport.com/basketball. They will be sold on a first come, first served basis.