Susan Lalley Mairose ('85)

Aside from her standout career as a women’s basketball player, Sue Lalley had the distinct honor of being the first woman to receive an athletic scholarship from Thomas More.  Lalley played basketball at Thomas More from 1981-85 when the school was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Lalley was a team captain for three seasons as a sophomore, junior and senior.  She led the team in rebounds as a sophomore, received the Hustle Award following her senior year and as freshman, was honored with the Spirit Award.

As a sophomore during the 1982-83 season, she averaged eight points per game and grabbed a team-leading 144 rebounds while making the transition from a guard to a forward.  She led the team in rebounding in seven games with a high of 13 rebounds coming in the team’s third game against Clark.  On February 10, 1983, Lalley showed her ability to be a complete player as she totaled 17 points, six rebounds and two steals.

During the 1983-84 season, she led the team in scoring once and in rebounding three times.  On February 15, 1984, she had a team-high 15 points against Miami (Ohio) and versus Berea on January 31, 1984, she had a season-high 11 rebounds.  Lalley finished third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding that season.

Her best season came as a senior during the 1984-85 season when she averaged 9.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.  For the second-straight year, she was third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.  Against Union on January 19, 1985, Lalley scored a career-high 23 points.  She also had a career-high 14 rebounds on two occasions versus Transylvania and Midway.  Lalley led the team in rebounds in seven games, including five of the last seven, and she led the team in scoring twice.

Not only was Lalley the first woman to receive a scholarship to Thomas More, but she was also the first female from Our Lady of Providence High School, before it merged with Newport Central Catholic, to get a scholarship.  While at Thomas More, Lalley was a member of the Computer Club and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science.  She was also a member of the volleyball and softball teams at the college for two years.

At the time of her induction, Susan Lalley Mairose was a basketball coach at St. Theresa in her 7th season, during which two of her teams had undefeated seasons.