Hall of Fame
Yes, Claire Holston was human on the basketball court - she hit only 64 percent of her foul shots.
Other than a few misses from the charity stripe, however, the 1985 Bentley graduate might just go down as one of the most well-rounded women to ever lace up a pair of high tops for the Falcons. She’s one of only two in Bentley and Northeast-10 history to earn at least three conference tournament MVP awards.
The 5-foot-8 native of Danbury, Connecticut played both guard and forward, and excelled at every facet of the game.
"She was a legitimate Division I player," said Bentley Hall of Famer Paula Mullen, Claire's coach her first three seasons. "We were really lucky to grab her." The Falcons made the most of their time with Holston in the lineup, winning 87 games in her four seasons including a 26-3 mark in 1983-84.
Claire was a force for the Falcons from the start, averaging 12.6 points and better than 30 minutes and six rebounds a game as a freshman as the Falcons were Northeast-8 co-champions during the regular season and NE-8 tournament winners. She figured greatly in the championship game, scoring 28 points and pulling down eight boards to earn the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. The conference Rookie of the Year ended up her team's leader in steals (87}, ranked second in assists (122) and was third in scoring and rebounding.
"Claire could do it all," Mullen said. "She could play point guard, two-guard, small forward - even power forward. She was very versatile. She could put the ball on the floor and penetrate like no other woman we ever had. She was a terrific rebounder too. She did what we needed her to do."
As a sophomore, Claire averaged 10.8 points and 8.1 rebounds in 17 games. She missed seven games because of a broken hand but still helped the Falcons finish 17-7 and win the NE-8’s regular-season crown.
Her junior year was outstanding. Claire started all 28 games that she appeared in, leading the Falcons to 26 wins against only three defeats. She averaged a career-high 13.3 points per game, swished 70 percent of her foul shots, pulled down better than seven rebounds per game and came up with 77 steals.
Bentley won its third straight regular-season title and its second NE-8 tournament. Once again, Claire garnered tournament MVP honors and was also named a NE-8 first-team all-star.
As a senior, Claire wrapped up her career in style, leading the Falcons to an overall record of 25-6. She aver-aged 32.3 minutes per game and hit a career-high 45 percent of her shots. She set two other career-highs as a senior, pulling down an average of 9.9 rebounds per game and grabbing 113 steals. She averaged 12.4 points per game that year, leading Bentley to its third NE-8 playoff crown in four years, winning her third tournament MVP award and helping the Falcons play in the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season. She was also an NE-8 first-team all-star for the second straight season.
Claire finished her career as Bentley's No. 2 scorer and rebounder, is currently fourth in program history in steals, and is one of only 12 players in program history with at least 1250 points and 750 rebounds.
“There’s no question, she was a key component,” added Mullen. "She made an impact."
