MAAC Honor Roll Inductees - Fairfield
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J.- On November 1, the MAAC will recognize 23 significant men's and women's basketball players at the fourth annual Honor Roll Dinner at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Two former student-athletes from each institution will be enshrined in The MAAC Experience, the league's exhibit at the Hall of Fame. Bios for each honoree will be featured on MAACSports.com as we count down to the private event.
Jack O’Connell – Fairfield University
Jack O’Connell was part of the Fairfield University men’s basketball foundation, successfully laying the groundwork for nearly 60 years of Stags basketball. The Bridgeport, Connecticut native attended Fairfield Prep before signing on with the Stags, enjoying success that few had garnered before his arrival. He was one of the first Fairfield University student-athletes to reach 1,000 career points, a feat he accomplished during the 1954-55 season. O’Connell finished his career with 1,016 points, one of 40 1,000-point scorers in program history. He helped the program secure a .500 record or better in all four of his campaigns with an overall record of 44-33. His best season came in his senior year (1954-55) when he netted more than 400 points in 20 games, averaging 20.6 points per contest. Additionally, in his final season, O'Connell also set the record for the most field goals and most foul shots, shooting 74% from the line. In response to his strong showing against New York teams he received All-American and All-Metro honorable mentions from New York writers and coaches. O’Connell is very proud that he had the opportunity to play and help Fairfield build their program with his life-long friend and teammate Bob Gerwien as the two combined to be the first class at Fairfield University to have two 1,000 point scorers.
Donna Margine – Fairfield University
Donna Margine held practically every record in school history upon her graduation in 1981, including the top scoring mark with 1,558 points. More than 30 years after her graduation, Margine still ranks among the top 10 scorers in school history, currently placing eighth. Her 16.9 career scoring average is second best among Fairfield student-athletes. A team captain, Margine remains the most accurate shooter in school history, leaving campus with a .556 field goal percentage (545 made, 949 attempts). She is one of only two Fairfield women’s basketball student-athletes to average better than 20 points per game in a season, registering 20.5 points every forty minutes during the 1978-79 campaign. All of these achievements were reached at a time in women's basketball before the introduction of the three point shot, and the use of the women's smaller ball.