Pitts, Smith, Stegemeier Among IBCA Inductees

NORMAL – Several people with SIUE connections were part of the group of honorees as the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association held its annual inductions Saturday night at Illinois State University.

The 2021 class included Edwardsville resident Debra Pitts, who is a loyal supporter and season ticket holder for Cougar basketball as well as Bob Stegemeier who served more than 30 years as part of SIUE's scorer's table crew for men's and women's basketball games. Both were inducted as "Friends of Basketball."

Local Sportswriters Dean Criddle (Belleville News-Democrat) and Pete Hayes (Alton Telegraph), both of whom have covered SIUE Athletics for many years, and are both SIUE graduates, were inducted among a group of media members.

The 2021 class was joined by the 2020 inductees, following the cancelation of the 2020 ceremony. SIUE women's basketball Head Coach Samantha Quigley Smith was inducted for her career as a player at Joliet Catholic and DePaul. Former SIUE men's basketball player Rusty Sarnes (1996-98) also was inducted for his time as a player at Havana and SIUE. Sarnes also played baseball at SIUE.

SIUE Athletics congratulates all of the recent inductees into the IBCA Hall of Fame.

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