Gator great Bridget Pettis was named to the 2017 Women’s Induction Class for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, announced today by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
The 11-member class will be honored on Saturday, April 29, 2017.
Pettis was named to the 1993 All-Southeastern Conference Team, when she helped the Gators to a 19-10 record and earn their first ever NCAA Tournament berth.
Upon completion of her eligibility, Pettis held all three-point school records and finished sixth on the all-time career point average leaders (15.2 ppg). Entering the first round of the 2010 SEC Tournament, Pettis record of eight three-pointers against Georgia on Jan. 20, 1993, is still Florida’s single-game standard.
During her two-year, 53-game career at UF (1991-93), Pettis totaled 804 points, 247 rebounds, 135 assists and 107 steals.
A 5-foot-9 guard from East Chicago, Ind., Pettis enjoyed a very successful professional basketball career following her college days. A nine-year veteran of the WNBA, Pettis was an original member of the inaugural Phoenix Mercury club in 1997, selected by the team with the seventh pick in the 1997 Elite Draft. She played in a club-record 154 consecutive games from 1997-2001. Pettis retired during the 2006 season, and the Mercury honored one of the most popular players in franchise history by retiring her jersey in a ceremony on June 6, 2006.
Pettis, who also played professionally in Europe for 14 years, has been as assistant coach with a variety of WNBA teams since 2007, helping the Phoenix Mercury win the 2007 and 2009 WNBA Championships.
The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2017
Name – High School – Graduation Year
Nikki (Anderson) – Cerbone Center Grove – 1987
Krissi Davis – Noblesville – 1987
Beth (Davis) Fagan – Greenfield-Central – 1988
Charlie Hall – Kokomo – 1974
Donna (Lamping) Hoeing – Batesville – 1981
Jennifer Jacoby – Rossville – 1991
Patricia (Babcock) McGraw – Culver Academies – 1990
Louise Owen – Evansville Central – 1947
Bridget Pettis – East Chicago Central – 1989
Julie (VonDielingen) Shelton – Seymour – 1989
Renee Westmoreland – Scottsburg – 1989
The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame announces 16th Women’s induction class:
- Nikki (Anderson) Cerbone set the Johnson County career scoring record and remains the leading scorer in Center Grove history with 1,347 points in her prep career. Also totaling 662 career rebounds, she averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior and senior, earning Indiana All-Star honors in 1987. Playing in all 110 games over her four-year career at Butler University, she totaled 1,128 points and is among program leaders in FT (196-240 81.7%), single-game scoring (32) and single-game FGs (14). Employed in education, she has been a coach in the girls basketball programs at Center Grove, Greenwood and Franklin Central since 1993. She lives in Indianapolis.
- Krissi Davis was a part of standout teams at Noblesville High School, including their 1987 undefeated state championship squad. Scoring over 1,000 points for the Lady Millers on teams that were 81-17 and won four sectionals, two regionals and the 1987 state title, she was selected a member of the 1987 Indiana All-Stars and has since been inducted into the Hamilton County Basketball HOF. Playing in 118 games at the University of Notre Dame, she was a two-time team MVP, graduated as the program’s 7th all-time leading scorer with 1,194 career points and received the Bryon V. Kanaley Award, the most prestigious honor presented to a Notre Dame senior athlete who has been exemplary as a student and leader. Since 1995, she has been operations manager at Davis/Haslam and resides in Noblesville.
- Beth (Davis) Fagan of Greenfield-Central High School is recognized as one of Indiana’s all-time best female athletes. Selected as 1st team all-state in volleyball, softball and basketball during her prep years, she was a member of the 1988 Indiana All-Star squad after setting Greenfield-Central records in career points (1,617), rebounds (695) and assists (233). Averaging 22.4 points and 10.6 rebounds as a senior, she was named All-American by Street & Smith’s, Women’s Basketball News and USA Today. In an injury-shortened three-year career at Wake Forest University, she scored 1,172 points, becoming just the 3rd player in program history to break the 1,000 point plateau. She remains among program leaders in numerous categories, was named a college Freshman All-American, 2nd team all-ACC, Academic all-ACC and in 2011 was named an “ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament Legend.†Employed in banking and education/coaching, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Charlie Hall of Kokomo built upon a notable playing career with an astounding coaching career and continued contributions to the game. A two-time North Central Conference scoring champion with 1,163 career points in two seasons at Kokomo, he averaged 23.7 points per game over his high school career. At Columbus College (GA), he ranked among program leaders in scoring and assists, including their single-game scoring record of 43 points. Entering coaching, he served as varsity assistant and JV boys coach at Kokomo under Hall of Famers Carl McNulty and Basil Mawbey from 1980-1997, including leading the Wildkats to a regional championship in a 1992 stint as interim head coach, before taking over the Kokomo girls basketball program in 1997. In eight seasons with the Lady Wildkats, his teams were 172-22 (.887), winning eight NCC titles (a 54-1 overall conference record), five sectionals, four regionals and the 2003 4A championship with a perfect 26-0 record. He was a seven-time NCC Coach of the Year, recipient of numerous other Coach of the Year honors and was chosen as the 2003 Indiana All-Stars head coach. From 2007 – 2008, he was an assistant women’s coach at Ball State, before assuming the position of Indiana All-Stars game director – a position he still holds – in 2008. Under his leadership, the Indiana girls and boys All-Star teams are a combined 27-5 in their annual competitions against the Kentucky All-Stars. He resides in Kokomo.
- Donna (Lamping) Hoeing amassed outstanding numbers at Batesville High School and Ball State University. A four-year starter at Batesville, she set a school record with 1,553 career points (21.3 ppg) and 845 rebounds (11.6 prg), scoring in double-figures in 71 of 73 games in her career, including a single-game best of 40 points. She graduated from Ball State University as the program’s all-time leading scorer, totaling 1,104 points in 93 career games. A two-time 2nd team Academic All-American and BSU’s 1984-85 Female Athlete of the Year, she was later named as one of five players to BSU’s 1st team 1980’s All-Decade Team. Since 1985, she has worked at Batesville High School as a math teacher and girls basketball coach. An assistant from 1985-1991, she served as head coach in stints from 1991-1995 and 1999-2000, leading the Bulldogs to three sectional titles in that time. She resides in Batesville.
- Jennifer Jacoby led Rossville High School to new heights, graduating as the 2nd all-time leading scorer in IHSAA girls basketball history and 1991 Indiana Miss Basketball. Averaging 33.7 points and 11.3 assists per game as a senior, she totaled 2,344 career points (29.3 ppg) in her high school career. Among her school records were single-game scoring (49), single-game assists (19), season assists (238) and career assists (685). At Purdue University, she recorded 795 points and 427 assists and started 82 games as a part of two Big Ten champion teams and their 1994 NCAA Final Four appearance. She played two seasons in the ABL before a career in athletics and education including stints as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois, Miami (OH) University and Indiana University and as coach or athletic administrator at Benton Central, Cathedral, Clinton Central, Knightstown and Frontier high schools. She resides in Rossville.
- Patricia (Babcock) McGraw had a decorated career at Culver Academies and Northwestern University. Indiana’s 1990 Miss Basketball and a three-time all-state selection, she was further recognized as a Parade All-American and the Gatorade, Naismith and USA Today Indiana Player of the Year honors her senior year. Scoring 2,199 career points and graduating as the 2nd all-time leading scorer in IHSAA girls basketball history, she led the state in scoring as a junior at 32.2 points per game and held career prep averages of 26.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. She graduated from Northwestern as the program’s 5th all-time leading scorer (1,353), 3rd all-time leading rebounder (813) and 4th in career FG% (.546). She was a two-time all-conference and two-time academic all-conference selection, helping the Wildcats to two NCAA tournament appearances. Since 1997 she has been a sportswriter for the Daily Herald newspaper in suburban Chicago, as well as a television analyst at the Big Ten Network, Chicago Sky TV, DePaul University TV and IHSA TV for Illinois state basketball finals telecasts. She resides in Lake Villa, Illinois.
- Widely recognized as an outstanding coach and athlete in Evansville, Louise Owen gets her due as a pioneering girls basketball state championship coach. A 1947 graduate of Evansville Central H.S. and 1951 graduate of Evansville College, she was a 31-year teacher and coach at Evansville Reitz High School. Hired as girls basketball coach in 1975, she led her team to a sectional championship in the inaugural season of IHSAA girls basketball and led them to a 26-1 state championship season in 1980-81, the 6th season of IHSAA girls basketball. Leading her teams to 100 wins in eight seasons (.725), she was named 1981 Indiana All-Star coach and also coached girls tennis and girls track. An accomplished tennis player, she won various city, state, national and world championship titles. She resides in Evansville.
- Bridget Pettis has had success at every level of the game. A 1989 Indiana All-Star from East Chicago Central High School, she averaged 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior under HOF coach Bobbie DeKemper, leading them to an 18-2 record and the first two sectional championships in program history. A two-year player at Central Arizona Junior College and two-year player at the University of Florida, she graduated from Florida holding all the school’s three-point field goal records and 6th best career scoring average (15.2 ppg). Pettis was an all-SEC selection and helped the Gators to their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. The 7th overall pick of the Phoenix Mercury in the inaugural WNBA Draft (1997), she played eight seasons in the WNBA with Phoenix and the Indiana Fever, playing a franchise-record 154 consecutive games with Phoenix. An assistant coach with the Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, Tulsa Shock and currently the Dallas Wings, she resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Julie (VonDielingen) Shelton has a distinguished career as a player and coach in Indiana basketball. A 1989 Indiana All-Star from Seymour High School, she scored 1,564 points and grabbed 912 rebounds, setting nine school records and earning Parade 4th team All-American honors. A member of three sectional and three regional champion teams, she helped the Owls to a 1987 state finals appearance under HOF coach Donna Sullivan. Excelling at Butler University, she remains their all-time leading scorer with 2,018 points after leading the team in scoring and rebounding for four seasons. A four-year 1st team all-conference selection and 1993 Conference Player of the Year, she was a 1993 All-American and Academic All-American. Spending 16 seasons as the girls head coach at Mt. Vernon (Fortville) High School, she led them to 260 wins, including a 2013 3A championship and 2012 3A runner-up finish. Since 2014, she has served as assistant women’s basketball coach at Butler University. She resides in McCordsville.
- Renee Westmoreland holds a unique spot as a Miss Basketball and state champion player from one of the state’s most storied girls basketball programs. Playing for HOF coach Donna Cheatham at Scottsburg High School, she averaged 24.4 points, 5.8 rebounds 6.0 assists and 4.2 steals for the 1989 state champions and earning Indiana’s Miss Basketball title after playing in three state finals. Among her school records were 1,816 career points, 441 assists and 394 steals along with single-game scoring (49), season points (658) and season steals (120). Scoring 1,258 points at Western Kentucky University, she was a member of their 1992 NCAA National Runner-Up squad and graduated 2nd in program history in career assists, steals, minutes played, 3FG made, 3FG attempts, 3FG% and FT% and 9th in career scoring. She resides in Boonton, New Jersey.
The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 16thAnnual Women’s Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2017. The day’s events will include a free reception at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame museum that afternoon and a banquet that evening at the Primo Banquet Hall in Indianapolis.
Reservations are available online now and tickets for the banquet will be made available in 2017. Call the Hall at 765-529-1891 or visit www.hoopshall.com for more information.
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