The 1961-65 women’s basketball teams at Mercy College were the first-ever athletic squads in school history. Prior to giving a few specific details about those seasons, it is important to know the game’s early history. In the 1960s, the game was quite different. There was no such thing as full court play, and only two dribbles were permitted. Over time, three dribbles were allowed and each team was permitted two players (rovers) to play full court. Coming from this background to continuous unlimited dribble and full court play was quite a change. However, it made the game much more exciting and challenging. In addition, these Mercy student-athletes were not fortunate enough to receive three points for deep outside shots.
Not only were the 1961-65 women’s basketball teams the starters of the program at Mercy, but they were also fast starters. The 1963-64 squad defeated Dominican College in its season opener, 48-10. Mercy led at halftime by an incredible 21-5 margin. In that contest, Karen Krug scored a game-high 21 points.
In the 1964-65 campaign, Mercy finished with a superb 7-1 record, under the direction of coach Peg Melford, with sage words of wisdom also coming from team mentor Eileen McMahon (then known as Sr. Mary Reparata). Mercy opened up the season with a decisive 44-28 triumph over nearby Concordia College, and finished it on a five-game winning streak. The final contest of the year was a 46-26 drubbing of Ladycliff. Krug paced the squad that year with 14.3 points per game, while Karen Aune contributed 9.4 per contest.
Being known as the establishers and pioneers of a program is an extremely prestigious honor that these ladies value highly. Amongst these accomplishments, statistics and achievements, the 1961-65 women’s basketball teams at Mercy began the journey of athletics at the College, which in 2012 is in its 51st year.
Players, Coaches & Contributors of the 1961-65 Mercy College Women’s Basketball Teams:
Karen Aune ‘65
Maureen Decker ‘68
Pamela Cavanaugh ‘66
Carole Kakos ‘65
Patricia Nyarady ‘66
Mary Flaherty ‘67
Barbara Finnegan
Carol Arras ‘65
Anne Norris ‘66
Eileen Slattery-Bishop ‘67
Karen Krug ‘65
Allida Daquino
Jayne Knips ‘68
Lenore Genova ‘67
Gay Miller
Cathy O’Byrne-Shewchuk ‘68
Madaline DeGeorge-Meyer ‘67
Louise Squitieri ‘65
Maureen Saldarini ‘65
Ethel DeMario ‘65
Joan Wolf ‘65
Marguerite Pizzo ‘65
Katherine Bergen
Peg Melford, Coach
Noreen Hill, Coach
Eileen McMahon / (Sr.
Mary Reparata), Mentor
Betsy Warthol, Scorekeeper
Cathy Urtz, Timer
