After 35 years, longtime girls basketball coach Turcone stepping down at North Providence
Longtime North Providence girls basketball coach Paula Turcone has announced that this season will be her last. Retiring this year from her position as phys ed and health teacher at North Providence High School, she said she will also be stepping down as coach of the basketball program that she started 35 years ago.
Turcone, who was also involved in getting both the softball and cross country programs started at North Providence, says that every team she coached was special in its own way, but that her fondest memories are of the 1982 and '83 teams that played in what was then called the Class B Championship (now known as Division II) at what was then called the Providence Civic Center (now known as the Dunkin' Donuts Center). Led by Cathy Lanni and Jo-Ann D'Alessandro, the Cougars played Central both times. Central, led then by Stephanie Perry, prevailed in 1982, but North Providence won it in 1983 for its first and only title.
"At the Civic Center, playing against Jimmy Robinson and Central - that was a dream team to me," said Turcone, who has served as the vice president of the Rhode Island High School Girls' Basketball Coaches Association for close to 20 years.
Having spent every winter for more than three decades in a gymnasium, Turcone says you may still be able to find her on the basketball court next season. Already a field hockey, lacrosse and softball official, she says she is considering becoming a basketball referee, as well.
"Paula has seen our sport metamorphosize - from fighting for gym time and playing afternoon games to jamming it up at the Ryan Center," said Marty Crowley, who coaches at Burrillville, and also serves as president of the Coaches' Association. "She has been a major contributor not only to her own program, but to the whole association."
Longtime RIIL Director of Girls Basketball Cindy Neal reiterated Crowley's sentiments.
"Paula has been an icon in girls basketball coaching over her career," said Neal, who coached against Turcone in the 1970s and '80s when Neal was coach at Smithfield. "She has coached great teams and great players such as Cathy Lanni and Jo-Ann D'Alessandro. She has also done a lot of volunteer work with the GBB Coaches Association. She will be missed!"
Click here to read Art Martone's story on North Providence's victory over Central in the 1983 Class B Championship.
Class B girls Lanni, Cougars dethrone Central
Byline/Title: ART MARTONE Journal-Bulletin Sports Writer
Source: THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL
PubDate: Wednesday, 3/9/1983
The bare facts are simple: Cathy Lanni scored a tournament-record 32 points and led North Providence to a 71-55 victory over Central for the girls' Rhode Island Interscholastic League Class B basketball championship last night at the Providence Civic Center.
Bare facts, though, don't begin to tell the story.
It was a night of emotions for the Lady Cougars. Emotions that ranged from euphoria (when they built a 17-1 lead in the first seven minutes of play and held leads of about 20 points through most of the first three quarters) to near-panic (when Central rallied and cut the lead to 51-40 heading into the fourth quarter) to relief (when Lanni took over in the final period, scoring 16 points and blunting the Lady Knights' comeback attempt).
And the last emotion was of utter joy, the joy of a championship and of avenging last year's upset loss to Central in the title game.
"This is what the girls had worked for all season," said Paula Turcone, the Lady Cougars' coach. "All season, all they talked about was getting back to the Civic Center and winning the title."
THE CHAMPIONSHIP was won with an outstanding first quarter. Jo-Ann D'Alessandro scored eight points, and Nancy SantoPadre added five as the Lady Cougars jumped out to 17-1 lead in the first six minutes.
"They took away our offense in the first quarter," said Central's coach, Jim Robinson, "and that was the ball game. They took us out of our shooting patterns and did what they had to do on defense. They executed and we didn't."
The lead was 19-5 after one quarter and 38-22 at halftime. The Lady Cougars twice had it up to 21 points - the last time at 51-30 with 3:11 left in the third quarter - before Central began its comeback.
Rene Griffin scored four points and the Lady Knights also received hoops from Stephanie Perry (who paced Central with 29 points), Patty Anderson and Deana Wilson as they ran off 10 straight points and closed the gap to 51-40.
"I felt if we could get the lead down to 10 or so," Robinson said, "it would still be a ball game."
That only lasted until Lanni took over.
NORTH PROVIDENCE scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, and Lanni scored 16 of them - eight on free throws - as the Lady Cougars reversed the momentum and never let Central get closer than 11.
"I was a little scared heading into the fourth quarter," admitted Lanni, "but we pulled together."
"I thought we showed a lot of maturity in the fourth quarter," said Turcone. "I'm very, very proud of the girls."
NORTH PROVIDENCE (71): Lanni 10-12-32, Masterson 0-0-0, DiFillippo 4-0-8, D'Alessandro 5-6-16, SantoPadre 5-5-15, Bak 0-0-0, Giordiano 0-0-0, Masi 0-0-0; totals 24-23-71. CENTRAL (55): Perry 11-9-29, Griffin 3-0-6, Johnson 1-0-2, M. Sebastian 1-0-2, Anderson 6-1-13, T. Sebastian 0-0-0, Wilson 1-0-2, Daniels 0-1-1, Lapierre 0-0-0, Braswell 0-0-0, Kiendra 0-0-0; totals 23-9-55.
Halftime: North Providence 38-22
Posted by Carolyn Thornton 
at 5:42 PM | Permalink
| Comments (2)
Paula,
You made a difference for many girls in the town of North Providence and you raised the coaching bar to new heights for all coaches. Rhode Island high school girls basketball is much better today because of coaches like yourself. You will be missed and thank you for all your time, effort, and sacrifice.
Your friend in coaching,
Sean Reddy.
Congratulations Paula,
I really enjoyed officiating girls lacrosse with you for a number of years. I also always enjoyed seeing you at the Dunk and Ryan Center as we both served on our respective boards.Thirty five years working with the high school student/athletes is quite an accomplishment.I am sure you served as a wonderful role model to many.Great job and I wish you an even more wonderful retirement.
Regards,
Rick Harris
Cranston East/CCRI