Bentley University

After graduating from Hingham High School, Paula Ayers spent four years working as a secretary before former Bentley College women's basketball coach Daryl Leonard saw her playing in a summer league and convinced her to enroll at Bentley.

"I wasn't going anywhere where I was," Ayers  told the Boston Globe in a February 1979 interview. "I wanted to go back to school, but I needed someone to put me up to it."     

Paula went on to enjoy an outstanding collegiate career, excelling both on the court and in the classroom. 

It didn't take Paula long to make her presence felt in the Falcon lineup as she averaged seven points and had a team-leading 86 assists as a freshman.

She blossomed the following season, scoring a career-high 15.6 points a game while also recording 112 rebounds, 102 assists and a team-leading and school-record 97 steals in Paula Mullen's first season at the helm.

Ayers also possessed double-figure scoring averages in her final two seasons, including a 13.6 mark as a senior when she helped the Falcons to a 20-5 record and a berth in the EAIAW Division Il Regionals. At the time, the 20 wins and the .800  winning percentage were both Bentley records.

During her final collegiate season, Paula became the first woman in the college's history to eclipse the coveted 1,000 career point plateau, accomplishing the feat in a 77-75 win over Bryant. She finished her career as Bentley's all-time leader in points (l,088) and assists (483). 

The layoff between high school and college didn't bother Paula in the classroom as she regularly made the Dean's List and was selected by the nation's sports information directors as a third team Academic All-American (college division) in 1981. That same year, she was honored by Bentley with the Edward J. Powers Scholar Athlete Award after graduating with a 3.5 grade point average.