****************TARA MITCHELL, `05 | WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (1993-95, 1996-98)****************
Tara Mitchell is one of the top all-around women’s basketball players in NJCU history. The 5-foot-9 forward becomes the fifth women’s basketball enshrined in the Athletics Hall of Fame. A two-time All-Conference selection, Mitchell was named First-Team All-NJAC as a senior in 1997-98 and All-ECAC Metro. She was also Second-Team All-NJAC as a freshman in 1993-94 when she was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
Mitchell finished her career with 1,237 points and 691 rebounds, averaging 15.3 points and 8.5 boards per game average. For her career in 81 games (73 starts) she contributed 220 steals, 207 assists, and 18 blocks in 2,658 minutes (32.8 per game). She shot .370 from the field (476-1288) and .564 from the free-throw line (277-491).
Mitchell currently ranks third in school history in minutes, field goals attempted and free throws made and attempted, third in steals per game (2.7), fourth in points and points per game, field goals made and total steals and sixth in rebounding average and assists. She is also sixth in game started, seventh in rebounds and rebounding average and eighth in minutes per game.
Among the awards she won in her career,
Mitchell was a two-time ECAC Metro Player of the Week on February 14 and 21, 1998 and earned ECAC Honor Roll status on December 13, 1997. She was named NJAC Player of the Week on December 15, 1997 and January 5, 1998. In 1993-94, she was a three-time NJAC Rookie of the Week pick and named to the NJAC All-Rookie Team.
When she scored her 1000th career point on January 10, 1998, she became the first women’s player to achieve that feat during the 1990s. She served as a co-captain for NJCU as a senior (1997-98) and after completing her eligibility, joined the coaching staff of Alice De Fazio as an assistant coach for two seasons (1998-00).
Her senior season in 1997-98 was a year of distinction as Mitchell led the NJAC in scoring at 19.3 points per game. She ranked fifth in the state in scoring among Division I, II, III and junior college players. She averaged a double-double of 19.3 and 10.5 rebounds per game while tallying 443 points, 241 rebounds (112 offensive, 129 defensive), 66 steals, 47 assists and six blocks in 23 games (all starts). She played 806 minutes and shot .400 from the field (172-430) and .529 from the line (99-187). The 430 field goals attempted are second most in single-season school history. The 99 free throws made and 187 attempted are third most while her points and scoring average and field goals made rank fourth all-time.
As a freshman in 1994-94, she averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She totaled 287 points, 174 rebounds, 68 assists, 65 steals and five blocks in 709 minutes. She shot .399 from the field (107-268) and .602 from the line (71-118) in 24 games (18 starts). Mitchell was second on the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals and scored a season-high 25 points against Rowan on November 23, 1993.
As a sophomore in 1994-95, she upped her scoring average to 16.6 points per game and added 6.9 rebounds per contest. She collected a total of 299 points, 125 rebounds, 64 assists, 54 steals and five blocks in 609 minutes over 18 games (all starts). She shot .363 from the field (116-320), .598 from the line (61-102) and .375 from three-point range (6-16). She led the Gothic Knights in scoring and assists and was second in steals and third in rebounding. She scored a career-high 30 points in a 49-40 win over Kean College on November 30, 1994, and tallied career-highs of eight assists and seven steals in a 71-55 loss at Rutgers-Newark on December 3, 1994.
After not playing in 1995-96, she returned to the lineup at the semester break as a junior in 1996-97 and saw extensive action at forward after spending her first two seasons as a guard. She scored 208 points with 151 rebounds, while averaging 13.0 points and 9.4 caroms per game. In 16 games (14 starts), she added 35 steals, 28 assists and two blocks in 534 minutes. She shot .300 from the field (81-270) and .548 from the line (46-84). Mitchell led the team in scoring while finishing second in rebounding and steals. She led NJCU in scoring 11 times in 16 games and established a career-best 20 rebounds against Richard Stockton College on January 29, 1997.
