Thursday, July 17, 2003

USM's Gary Fifield and Maureen Burchill-Cooper Among 
the New England Basketball Hall of Fame's 2003 Inductees

	GORHAM, Maine  --  University of Southern Maine women's basketball head coach 
Gary Fifield and former All-American Maureen Burchill-Cooper (Class of 1985) are 
among the honorees who will be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of 
Fame on September 19 at the Ryan Center on the campus of the University of Rhode 
Island.  The New England Basketball Hall of Fame released its 2003 Class today.
	Other inductees with USM ties being inducted on other categories include 
former men's basketball coach Bob Brown and former assistant women's coach Rachel 
Bouchard.  Brown is being honored in the high school boy's coach category while 
Bouchard is being inducted in the high school girls player category.
	Fifield has compiled an impressive 397-71 record (.848 W-L pct.) in his 16 
seasons (1987-88 through present) as the Huskies head coach.  He has guided his 
teams to 13 Little East Conference tournament championships, including the last 
seven (1997-2003) in a row, 15 NCAA tournament berths and three visits to the 
Division III Final Four (1988, 1998, 2000), including two spots in the national 
championship game.
	The women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer, Burchill-Cooper 
tallied 2,357 points during her stellar four-year career, and still holds 13 USM 
records.  She was named a WBCA Division III All-American in the 1982-83 and 1984-
95 seasons.
	Brown coached the USM men's team for three seasons (1987-1990), leading the 
Huskies to 20 or more wins each year and three straight NCAA tournament berths.  
His 1988-89 squad finished third in the NCAA tournament.
	Bouchard, who enjoyed a prolific high school career at Hall-Dale H.S. before 
starring at the University of Maine, served on Fifield's staff for three seasons 
(1993-96).
	Among the other notable selections include present and former NBA players 
Travis Best (Springfield Commerce HS), Mike Gminski (Masuk HS), the late Reggie 
Lewis (Northeastern University) and Lenny Wilkens (Providence College).  WNBA 
stars Jen Rizzotti and Sue Bird are also being inducted.  Among the coaches being 
enshrined are George Blaney (Holy Cross) and Rick Pitino (Boston 
University/Providence College).
	Inductees were selected in specific categories.  High school boys, girls, 
coaches and teams were selected by state.  College Division I, II, III, Junior 
College and Prep school categories were selected without regard to state 
affiliation.  Special inductee categories were also considered regionally and 
included referees, organizations, members of the media, contributors, semi-
professional players and individual selections form Special Olympics, deaf 
competitors, wheelchair athletes and the youth/volunteer category.