Former Rutgers Basketball Star Dies
Feb 21 | Women's Basketball
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Debbie Paladino, a two-year starter for the Rutgers women's basketball team and a member of the 1981-82 squad that won the AIAW National Championship, died of pancreatic cancer on Feb. 17 in a West Palm Beach, FL, hospital. She was 44-years-old.
Paladino helped the Scarlet Knights to an 83-35 record (.703) in her four seasons, from 1981-85. She appeared in 22 games in the magical 1981-82 season, when the Scarlet Knights compiled a 25-7 record and knocked off Texas 83-77 in the title game to win the last ever AIAW National Championship.
A tri-captain as a senior, Paladino was the team's leading free throw shooter as both a junior (.805) and senior (.769).
Paladino appeared in 22 games as a freshman, averaging 1.6 points per game. She started 13-of-26 games as a sophomore, averaging 4.0 points and contributing 73 assists as Rutgers finished 19-10. Paladino nearly missed a triple-double as a sophomore, when she scored 11 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had nine assists in a 78-65 win over Monmouth.
Paladino started 28 of 29 games as a junior in 1983-84, and led Rutgers with 4.3 assists per game. She also scored 6.9 points per game as a junior, as the Scarlet Knights recorded a 20-9 mark. In her senior season, she scored 4.3 points per game and dished off 75 assists as the Scarlet Knights went 19-9.
Paladino came to Rutgers after an outstanding scholastic career at Centennial High School in Ellicott City, MD. A three-sport star in high school, Paladino won nine varsity letters at Centennial as a standout in cross country, basketball and softball. She was the Baltimore Sun's Female Prep Athlete of the Year in 1981.
As a senior on the hardwood, Paladino led Centennial HS to a 22-4 record and the Maryland Class B State Championship. She averaged 19.2 points per game during her career, and was an All-Howard County and All-Baltimore Metro selection as a senior.
