Sage's Allison Coleman to be inducted into New England Basketball Hall of Fame
Albany, NY – The Sage College's head women's basketball coach Allison Coleman (Jewett City, CT) will be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts on August 8, 2015.
Coleman, a 2004 graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University, will join other honorees representing a variety of categories, ranging from high school players to senior adults who still play the game at age 65 and over. The New England Basketball Hall of Fame dinner has become one of, if not the, largest sports dinners in America. Approximately 1,900 people will be present on August 8.
The August 8, 2015 ceremony will be preceded on August 7 with activities at the iconic St. Mary's High School Gymnasium in Worcester. The August 7 program will include the inaugural Annual New England Basketball Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Game between high school scholar-athlete teams representing Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts. On August 8, the festivities will include a series of panel discussions featuring the likes of Hall of Famer's David Thompson and Dave Cowens, and a special ceremony in celebration of the History of Women's Basketball in New England.
As the Gators' head coach in 2014-2015, Coleman led the team to post–season appearances in both the Skyline Conference Tournament and the Eastern College Athletic Conference Metro Semifinals. In her first season as Sage's head coach, she wrapped the campaign with a number of high-water marks under the direction of rookie head coach Allison Coleman. The Gators broke the record for most wins a season (18), while recording a 12-game win streak as well in 2014-2015 and capped the year with an 18-8 mark.
Coleman arrived at Sage in the summer of 2014 after serving as the Assistant Women's Basketball Coach and Game Operations Supervisor for her alma mater, Eastern Connecticut State University for the last four seasons. An assistant coach for the Warriors' women's basketball program for four seasons, Coleman distinguished herself as a player at ECSU as well. The most accomplished player in Division III women's basketball history, Coleman was a four-time All-American as a player for Denise Bierly at ECSU. She spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach, working alongside her mentor, Bierly
A native of Jewett City, Connecticut, Coleman was named the State Farm/WBCA National Player-of-the-Year as a senior in 2003-04 and remains the only four-time All-America in women's basketball collegiate history. With 1,991 career points, Coleman holds the mark for points in school history (either ECSU men's and women's basketball history). She also shares the women's record with 1,134 career rebounds and ranks first in assists (579) and steals (369), while standing second in three-point field goals (152) and second in games (117). She is the only player in program history with as many as 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
As a junior, Coleman led the Warriors to the NCAA Division III national title game and a second-place finish. She averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and was a finalist for national Player-of-the-Year honors.
As the national Player-of-the-Year in 2003-04, Coleman represented Division III when the WBCA College All-Star Team met the USA Women's Senior National Team in April of 2004.
With Coleman, Eastern had the winningest four-year composite record in program history, winning 101 games and losing only 17 (.856 percent). In Coleman's career, Eastern qualified for three NCAA and one ECAC tournament.
Coleman was a 2010 inductee into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, a 2012 inductee into the inaugural Little East Conference Hall of Fame and a member of the LEC's 25th Anniversary All-Star Team, and an October 19, 2013 inductee into the E-Club Hall of Fame.
For further information, visit www.nebasketballhalloffame.com
