The last home games for the men’s and women’s basketball teams marked a sentimental occasion for Worcester State University Lancer Athletics alumni as well as current student-athletes. They were the last basketball games scheduled to be played on the court of the 55-year-old Gymnasium Building.
At the intermission of the women’s game, two-time All-American and Lancer Hall of Famer Cathy (Westall) Kusmeskus ’81 was invited to throw up a “last shot” in the Lancer Gym. Katie O’Connor ’12, Kaleigh Charette ’12, Molly Hein ’12, Riley O’Keefe ’10, Maura Cushing Hackenson ’00, Joan O’Donnell ’87, Nancy Vaskas ’80, Janice Makowski ’74, Joan Romley Siska ’74, Sandy Nelson ’72, and Lois Ford Batbouta ’72 accompanied her.
During the men’s game halftime, Hall of Famer Paul Welcome ’61 sank the “final shot” in the gymnasium off a bounce-pass in the paint by Bert Bolduc ’61. Welcome netted the first field goal when the doors first opened in January 1961. Don Cushing ’66, John Durkin ’54, John Bowler ’98, James Ridick ’74, Alan Ratcliffe ’82, Myles Lawton ’99, Dave Lindberg ’91, Greg Nikiforow ’99, and Wayne Russell ’00 joined them.
Both teams lost to Bridgewater State: the final score in the women’s game was 65-51 and the men’s game ended 78-77.
WSU has been given the green light to build a $45.5 million, 100,000 square-foot Wellness Center, which is expected to open in fall/winter 2015. The project is among a list of Commonwealth capital investments according to an updated five-year capital plan released by state officials. Construction is expected to begin in this year.
Steve Miller, WSU’s sports information director, contributed to this article.
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