FAIRMONT — Emily Puskarich ended her brilliant collegiate hoop career in grand fashion last weekend.

The former Wheeling Park great came up huge for Fairmont State in the Mountain East Conference Tournament in Charleston. Puskarich helped to carry the upstart Falcons to the championship game, bowing to top-seeded Wheeling Jesuit.

The 5-8 guard put on a shooting display of record proportions.

In the quarterfinals, the senior sharpshooter established a new MEC Tournament record for three-pointers in a single game, including seven in the opening half against Notre Dame College. She finished the contest with eight treys while tying her career-high with 26 points.

Fairmont State proceeded to down Charleston, 71-57, in the semifinals. Puskarich again came up big with 14 points, four assists and four steals.

It marked the first time the Falcons have advanced to the MEC title game. In the loss to Wheeling Jesuit in the finale, Puskarich recorded six points, three steals and three rebounds.

She deservedly earned a spot on the MEC All-Tournament team.

For the season, the former Park all-stater averaged 13.5 points per game while leading the Falcons with 82 treys, 86 steals and minutes played (36.1 per game). She also dished out 79 assists.

Fairmont ended the campaign with a 19-12 mark.

“We were pre-season No. 1 in the MEC but the regular season didn’t go as we had hoped. We lost some games we should have won,” Puskarich said. “Our entire starting five consisted of seniors. So when we entered the tournament we all pulled together and played for each other. We came out strong against Notre Dame and Charleston. We just couldn’t make shots against Wheeling Jesuit.

“I wanted to go out with a bang. So the three-point record is nice,” she added. “My teammates deserve a lot of the credit. They found me when I was open and kept feeding me the ball. I felt very confident with my shot.”

Puskarich started 30 games in her junior campaign, averaging 11.7 points while leading the team in steals (70), three-point field goals (76) and three-point field goal attempts (212). She was also a starter as a sophomore, averaging 8.9 points per game She led the team with 101 assists and finished second on the team with 46 steals that season.

As a frosh, Puskarich saw action in 21 games, averaging 5.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest. She finished her brilliant Fairmont State career with more than 1,000 points.

“I really enjoyed my career here. I definitely made a good decision,” Puskarich said. “The team really accepted me with open arms. I loved my team. We were the best of friends and it carried over onto the floor.”

Puskarich enjoyed a brilliant four years at Wheeling Park. She still ranks as the Ohio Valley’s 11th all-time leading scorer with 1,853 points while being a first-team all-state honoree three seasons.

Her stellar prep career landed her a Division I scholarship to Robert Morris. She found the Colonials’ program not to her liking, transferring to Fairmont State in the spring of her freshman year.

She is majoring in exercise science. She has applied for P.A. school.

While her collegiate career is now in the books, basketball still may play out in her future.

“I have been playing basketball since the third grade. I won’t rule out coaching if it falls in line with my professional career,” Puskarich said.

Fairmont State head coach Steve McDonald holds Puskarich in the highest regard.

“Emily is a special person and a special player. When she came to Fairmont State I knew she was a good shooter. Over the next three years she developed her self into an all-around excellent player,” McDonald said. “She was as good as any player I’ve ever coached at the top of our 1-3-1 zone defense. We will certainly miss her shooting, defense and ability to steal the basketball, but most of all I will miss her as a person. She was an absolute joy to coach.”

VOLPE NAMED TO HOF

RONALD VOLPE went to college on a basketball scholarship. His hoop skills helped the 1963 Yorkville High grad make a huge impact in the world of academics.

Volpe was recently named to the Hood College Athletic Hall of Fame in Frederick, Md. He retired as Hood’s president in 2015 after a long and successful tenure, a time in which the school enjoyed massive growth under his guidance.

He oversaw the transitioning the college to co-education, adding numerous new academic programs and athletic teams. Hood’s enrollment grew to more than 1,000 students. Upon his retirement in 2015, the Board of Trustees named a newly built athletic center the Ronald J. Volpe Athletic Center in recognition of his passionate support of athletics.

After graduation from Yorkville High, Volpe attended Gannon University on a basketball scholarship. He completed his MBA at Xavier University and Ph.D at the University of Pittsburgh. Volpe returned to Gannon as a faculty member and later as academic dean. Prior to his presidency at Hood, Volpe held numerous administrative positions at Capital University in Columbus, including dean of the graduate school, provost and dean of the faculty and interim president.

BUBBA’S BITS

OVAC HALL of Famer Joanna Bernabei-McNamee is going dancing with her University of Albany women’s basketball team. The Weirton Madonna and West Liberty athletic great guided the Great Danes to the American East championship via a 66-50 win over Maine Friday night. Bernabei-McNamee has directed Albany to a 21-11 record in her first season with the team. The Great Danes now earn an automatic berth into its the NCAA Tournament. They will learn their first round opponent on Monday.

CONGRATS TO former Wheeling Park pitching standout Michael Grove. He tossed five no-hit innings to help carry WVU to a 3-1 victory at Old Dominion in the second game of a doubleheader Friday in Norfolk. The talented sophomore struck out 11, two shy of his career high. He walked three.

FORMER WHEELING Central and St. Bonaventure basketball great Suzie Dailer was honored at a breakfast March 3 in Richmond, Va. in conjunction with the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Tournament. Dailer was selected as a member of the Atlantic 10 Basketball Legends Class of 2017. The Legends program was established just four years ago and pays tribute to players who have had a major and lasting impact on their school. Taking part in the ceremony was former Wheeling Jesuit athletic director and head men’s basketball coach Jay DeFruscio. He is now Atlantic 10 assistant commissioner.

THE 22ND Annual BMAC Golf Classic is planned for Thursday, July 20 at Moundsville Country Club. Individual and Corporate Cup competition will be held again. For more information, call either John Budinscak (740-695-2944) or John S. Marshall (740-695-4262).

THE SECOND Annual Ohio Valley Coaching Clinic is set for Tuesday, March 21 from 6-9:30 p.m. in Wheeling. Bryan Nardo, a 2004 St. John Central grad and current Emporia State defensive coordinator, staged the inaugural clinic last July. Speakers this year, in addition to Nardo, are Matt Nardo Emporia State defensive coordinator; Josh Pyles, owner and operator of Pyles Elite Sports Performance Institute; and Zac Bruney, offensive coordinator at Ohio Dominican University and former all-state quarterback at Martins Ferry. He also quarterbacked Mount Union to the national championship. The clinic is free to all high school coaches. Refreshments will be served. Coaches should RSVP by March 15 via email to OhioValleyCoachingClinic@gmail.com.

KUDOS TO the WVU women’s basketball team for a magnificent run through the Big 12 Tournament, bagging the favored Baylor Bears in the finals. Head coach Mike Carey doesn’t get the national recognition he deserves as one of the premier coaches in college hoops.

FORMER ST. John Central hoop star Michelle (Bielanski) Filander just finished her seventh season as head coach of the Austin College (Texas) women’s basketball team. The Kangaroos finished with a fine 19-8 mark. Bielanski graduated SJC in 1997 after scoring 1,436 points, being named all-Ohio twice and earning a scholarship to Robert Morris.

CONGRATULATIONS to the River Pilot sixth grade basketball team for winning the Ohio Youth Basketball State Tournament held recently at Central Crossing High School in Columbus. This group also captured state championships in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Team members were Kabel Isaly, Reed Willis, River Thompson, Ty Long, Brody Lollathin, Finn Bowers and Wyatt Harlan. They were coached by Dan Lollathin and Jamey Long.