Sister Maria Pares, the first female head coach to be inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame, posted a career record of 108-39 during her five seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at Canisius. After serving as the long-time head coach at Sacred Heart Academy in Buffalo, Pares took over the Canisius program in 1981-82, where her Golden Griffins won 22-straight games en route to a 26-5 record and a fourth-place finish at the AIAW Regional. In 1982-83, the Blue and Gold posted a 28-5 record, won 15 consecutive games and advanced to the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals, while the 1983-84 squad earned a second-place ECAC finish after recording a 23-8 overall mark. The 1982-83 Converse Region II Coach of the Year, Pares left Canisius after the 1985-86 campaign as the school’s winningest women’s basketball coach, a record she held for 26 years. In her time on Main Street, she coached three All-Americans and her .735 career win percentage at the College ranks first in program history. She was inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and was also inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.