NE10 40th Anniversary Home Page
During the 2020-21 academic year the NE10 will celebrate its 40th Anniversary by honoring 40 Outstanding Individuals and 40 Iconic Moments from throughout the conference's history. SCSU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kate Lynch was named one of the NE10’s 40 Outstanding Individuals.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by the NE10, among such a prestigious group of people,” Lynch said. “I am thankful that Coach Frager gave me the opportunity to be a part of a special group of teammates who pushed each other to be better every day. I am also grateful for the Southern community, not only did I enjoy my time on the court, but I also had amazing experiences in our classrooms and in our community. Attending Southern gave me an opportunity to represent a University that I love and to play in one of the top division II conferences in the country.”
Kate Lynch ’08 completed her four-year career as a two-time All-American and the program’s all-time leading scorer. Lynch earned NCAA Division II Tournament Most Outstanding Performer honors after guiding the Owls to their first NCAA National Championship in program history in 2006-07. The title was also the first basketball championship in NE10 history while Lynch garnered NE10 Player of the Year honors.
“Kate Lynch is one of the most competitive people I have ever had the privilege to coach,” former Owls head coach Joe Frager said. “She was someone who got the maximum out of herself. Kate was a great combination of humility and competitive arrogance. She was not going to lose at anything!”
Her 1,779 points rank first in SCSU history while her 650 rebounds rank fifth. In total, Lynch set eight new SCSU single-season or career records as a student-athlete. In addition to the career mark, Lynch also holds the program record for points in a season (647, 2006-07) and is the only player in program history with two 600-point seasons (647 in 2006-07 and 632 in 2007-08). Lynch was also the definition of a winner as the Owls won nearly 80 percent of their games during her career, going 103-26, including a 67-21 mark in NE10 action with two NE10 Championships.
“I am incredibly thankful for my teammates and the strong bonds and friendships we still have today,” Lynch said. “Basketball is a team sport and none of this would have been possible without them. I am thankful for the coaching staff who always challenged all of us to be the best student-athletes we could be.”
In 2007-08, she also averaged a program record 21.8 points per game, and stands as the only player in program history to average 20 points per game for a season. She is one of two players to total 200 field goals in a season, and the only one to do it twice. She is one of four players in Southern history to score 35 points in a game while her 38 at Saint Rose in 2008 are the second-most in program history.
Inducted into the SCSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, she was previously inducted into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 2014) and the Northeast-10 Conference Hall of Fame (2014).
In five seasons as the Owls head coach, Lynch has won 76 games while guiding her team to five-straight NE10 Conference Tournament appearances and one NCAA Tournament appearance (2018).
“As head coach, I hope to pass on the same positive experiences and lasting memories to all of our student-athletes of our esteemed University,” Lynch said.
Prior to returning to coach her alma mater, Lynch was the head coach at Community College of Rhode Island, where she was named the National Coach of the Year, and Molloy College.
Kate Lynch Links of Note:
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
