Quaboag Current: “Burns Reaches Collegiate Milestone”

By Tim Peterson, Sports Correspondent

January 31, 2014

Worcester, MA --- During the five years that Meaghan Burns was a member of the girls varsity basketball team at Quaboag Regional, she watched four of her teammates join the 1,000 point club.

While Burns wasn't able to become a member of the elite club during her outstanding high school career, she was able to reach that milestone at the collegiate level.

Burns, who's a senior captain of the Worcester State University women's basketball team, scored the 1,000th of her career on a made free throw with 6:00 remaining in a 69-62 road loss against Westfield State last Thursday night, January 23. Burns, who's a guard, became the 18th Lancers women's basketball player to score 1,000 career points.

She entered the game against Westfield State needing 20 points and finished the game with a team-high 21 points. She also scored a team-leading 14 points five days earlier in a 63-48 loss against Bridgewater State.

"Scoring my 1,000th career point is going to be a very nice accomplishment for me because I didn't get to do it while I was in high school," said Burns following the home game against Bridgewater State.

"I loved playing basketball with all those outstanding players at Quabog. We won the state title when I was in the eighth grade. We also won the District title every other year that I was a member of the varsity team.

The Lady Cougars, who posted an impressive 25-1 overall record during the 2005-06 season, captured the Division 3 state finals by defeating Cardinal Spellman, 37-31, at the DCU Center in Worcester. The Lady Cougars also won the state title in 1985, 1986 and 2004.

The state final victory against Cardinal Spellman was the state final victory against Cardinal Spellman was the final high school game for Kelsey and Reilly O'Keefe, who were both 1,000 point scorers.

Kelsey, who started 141 consecutive high school games, finished her career as the all-time leading scorer with 2,649 points. Reilly finished her college career at Worcester State.

The Cougars won its sixth consecutive Central Mass. Title against Sutton High School.

Burns, who's from West Brookfield, helped the Lady Cougars beat Maynard and Hopedale again in the Central Mass. Finals during the next two years.

The other two Lady Cougars 1,000 point scorers who were teammates of Burns were Sam McCann and Meaghan O'Keefe. Meaghan O'Keefe, who finished her high school career with 1,177 points, was also teammates with Burns at Worcester State during the previous three years.

O'Keefe, who's currently a first-year Lancers assistant coach, was selected as the MASCAC Player of the Year last season. She finished her outstanding college career with 964 points.

"Playing college basketball with Meaghan the last three years was awesome," said Burns. "It was just like we were still playing at Quaboag. We played so well together and it's so nice having her around as an assistant coach this year."

Burns still follows the Lady Cougars basketball team because her niece, Brittany Herring is a junior forward on this year's team. Herring has scored a total of 154 points in Quaboags first 11 games of the season. The Lady Cougars have a 9-2 record before playing Millbury on Tuesday night.

"This year's team is doing very well," said Burns. "I've been to about four of their games so far this year and it's nice to see them continue the tradition we started."

When Burns was a senior at Quaboag, her top two college choices were Worcester State and Springfield College.

"I'm a nursing major, so coming here to Worcester State was a better fit for me academically," said Burns. "I wouldn't have been able to play basketball at Springfield College. It has been a wonderful experience for me here."

Burns leads her team with 261 points in the first 17 games this season. She also leads the team with 28 steals in addition to 39 assists and 11 blocks – totals that are second on the club.

"Meaghan Burns has been a great player for us during the past four years," said Lancers head coach Karen Tessmer. "When she was in high school, she had a lot of other outstanding players around her, so I thought that she would blossom in college. She's a very hard worker and she's a great student.

Tessmer won her 250th career game last Saturday afternoon as the Lancers posted a 58-47 victory at Fitchburg State improving their overall record to 7-10. Burns scored a game-best 21 points in that contest.

Because the Worcester State's gymnasium is in the process of being rebuilt, the Lancers are playing their home games at WPI, Assumption College and Clark University this year.

"It's something that we've gotten used to," said Burns. "We're like road warriors this year. We're used to these gyms because we use them for our practices. When we play games or practice at WPI, it does bring back wonderful memories from my high school career."

The Lancers have taken a trip during the Christmas break every year that Burns has been a member of the team.

"We went to Texas my freshman year. We also went to Hawaii, California and Costa Rica this year," she said. "All of our trips were wonderful, but getting to go to Costa Rica was awesome. We went white water rafting and zip lining. We also played against the Costa Rican National team and held clinics for young kids there. It was a very memorable trip for us.

"I really with that I was a freshman again because the past four years have flown by."

Three of her biggest supporters are her parents, Lisa and Greg, and her older sister, Caitlyn.

"My family comes to all of my basketball games," Burns said. "I'm very thankful for their support.

Meaghan Burns will certainly have some wonderful stories from her basketball career to tell her own children some day.

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