Back in the summer of 1980 when a Lynnfield native intentionally attended a Holy Cross basketball clinic in an attempt to impress the head coach, Lauren Maney George never imagined she’d have her jersey dangling over the Crusaders’ court one day.
As a freshman at the college, it was initially just excitement to be there. But once she stepped foot inside of the Hart Center Arena, it was more than just excitement – rather, the beginning of a legacy.
George, a former shooting guard, scored a total of 1,721 points in her career. For that reason, the number four will never be worn by a Crusader again.
Despite the points scored off of her own fingertips, it wasn’t herself she was thinking of when first hearing the news.
“It was a very big surprise,” George said. “Something that immediately made me think of my teammates.”
She attributes the event’s happening to her supporting cast of assistant coaches, as well as her head coach Bill Gibbons – the winningest coach in program history.
“He’s just a phenomenal guy. He made the whole experience so special for us,” George said. “I literally stay in touch with my coaches on, I’d say, a fairly regular basis.”
One of her teammates, Christine Porath, said she remembers working at the summer camp the wide-eyed high schooler was attending. Years later, they wound up being travel roommates. Despite George’s competitive nature – even in the world of card games – Porath said she doesn’t have enough good things to say about her former road partner.
“She was a lot of fun, of course,” Porath said. “She’s the first person to show up for you when you have a personal crisis or challenge.”
George also credits lots of her success to her former point guard, Kim Lynch.
“We just clicked all throughout our years together and it was just such a great experience,” George said. “She was such a good floor commander and really made things happen for us.”
With all of the 6:00 a.m. practices, games, and off the court-memories, she has one remembrance that always sticks out in her mind: the Fordham game.
A hard fought battle resulted in Holy Cross defeating the opposition after losing to them earlier in the season – winning the Patriot league for the Crusaders in what George described as “extra sweet.”
“It’s funny, just this summer, several of us got together at our coach’s lake house in New Hampshire and somebody asked that question,” George said. “I immediately said the Fordham game.”
George said she learned so much from her time in the purple and white, but that her biggest takeaway was how an individual can love working hard for the people around them.
“We’re in this together,” George said. “That’s obviously something that helps in life after college and after sports, is that mentality of doing your best and working together as a team. That’s true in the workplace, it’s true in your family, it’s true everywhere.”
Her number will be placed in the rafters on Jan. 28, 2023 at the Hart Center Arena in Worcester, where George’s legacy will live on forever.
“I loved Holy Cross. I loved playing basketball. I just couldn’t get enough of it,” George said.
Joey Barrett can be reached at [email protected]
