Albro, Cushing, Moresi, O’Donnell To Be Inducted Into New England Basketball Hall of Fame

Worcester, MA --- Worcester State University alums George Albro, Don Cushing, Phil Moresi and Joan O'Donnell will be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame at a major ceremony at the DCU Center in Worcester on Saturday, August 8. Albro, Cushing, Moresi and O'Donnell will join several 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.

The ceremony will be preceded on Friday, August 7 with activities at the iconic St. Mary's High School Gymnasium in Worcester. The program will include the first Annual New England Basketball Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Game between high school scholar-athlete teams representing Boston and Worcester. On August 8, the festivites 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 Enlgand.

Worcester State's four alumni have made significatn contributions to basketball, education and the University throughout the years.

Albro, a Co-Vice Chair of the WSU Board of Trustees, was a four-year starter during his basketball career at Worcester State as a point guard and he played on the team that won the New England State Teachers College Championship during the 1961-62 season. The former Worcester State men's basketball coach also taught, was Assistant Principal and he coached at Leicester High for 19 years, where his teams won SWCL titles, competed in several Clark Tournaments and he won Central Massachusetts Cervini-Hardy Sportsmanship Award.

Since his playing and coaching days, Albro has been enshrined in the Leicester High School Hall of Fame and he was a member of the Lancer Hall of Fame Class of 1989. Over the years he has been on the Clark Tournament committee and remains active as a member of the WSU Alumni Board and Foundation Board.

Cushing, a Principal at St. Joseph School in nearby Webster, was a four-year starter, a 1,000-point scorer, senior team captain, MVP and he later became an assistant coach at Worcester State. As the boys Varsity Basketball Coach at Bartlett, Cushing coached for 26 years where his teams won three Clark Tournament Championships, four MIAA District Championships and were 11-time winners of the Cervini-Hardy Basketball Award.

He was inducted into the Lancer Hall of Fame in 1988, while also being honored in the Bartlett High School Hall of Fame, the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, The New England Basketball Hall of Fame (Ron Perry, Sr Category) while also receiving the Loftus-Picket Award. He was named MIAA Central Massachusetts Coach of the Year Award three times.

Moresi, a two-sport Lancer Hall of Fame inductee in 1990, was a starting point guard, a 1,000 point scorer and a two-time captain. He was a former coach at Framingham South High, where a 58-game winning streak by one of his teams still stands today. While at Framingham South, Moresi coache All-American Rufus Harris, drafted fifth by the Boston Celtics. Moresi worked in the Ashland Public School system for 38 years as a teacher, Athletic Director and Assistant Principal. While working at Bates, his team was ranked third nationally in scoring.

Moresi has also been inducted into the Mass Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, the New England Basketball Hall of Fame and he was the first recipient of the Jim Calhoun Award for Outstanding High School Coaches.

O'Donnell, a current member of the "Massachusetts Miracle" senior team, scored 1,323 points in her college career between Brandeis and Worcester State University. During her playing days for the Lancers, her team won the 1979-80 AIAW Division III National Championship as O'Donnell netted 22 points in the title game.

Pouring in 659 points in her two years, she helped her squad capture back-to-back Massachusetts State College, Division II MAIAW and Division III EAIAW Regional Championships. During the 1980-81 campaign, O'Donnell led her team to the AIAW Final Four where the Blue and Gold finished third in the nation. O'Donnell was inducted into the Worcester State Hall of Fame in 1998.

 For further information, visit www.nebasketballhalloffame.com

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