Schatzlein, Kristin

Kristin Schatzlein’s father, Lee, shot nearly 57% from the floor during his career with the Bryant College men’s basketball team. It’s no surprise then that Kristin, a 2012 graduate of Tolland High School and the Gatorade Connecticut Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year as a senior, spent a lot of time in the gym. While playing for Division I Fairfield University, Schatzlein – nicknamed “Schatz” – would shoot until she made 100 shots from inside the 3-point line and 100 more from outside the arc.

“She was a great kid and we really enjoyed her during the recruiting process,” then-Fairfield coach Joe Frager said of Schatzlein, a 6-foot guard. “The type of questions she asked weren’t settled on herself. You always try to recruit an athlete who wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

Schatzlein, the first player in Tolland history to earn the Gatorade honor, finished her career with the most points all-time at the school with 1,717. She was a two-time all-state selection and a four-time all-league pick, averaging 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.2 steals per game as a senior to lead the Eagles to a 24-4 record and a Class M state championship appearance. Schatzlein’s Tolland scoring record broke that of her sister, Kelly, a 2009 graduate. Kristin also lettered in volleyball and track.

“Both my mom and dad were a big part in my career. They both played in college, which inspired me to want to become a college athlete, and my dad was my coach when I was growing up, as well,” Schatzlein said. “My sisters were also a huge part, just showing me the ropes and giving me a little competition at home in the driveway. And then all my coaches growing up, as well, of course.”

At Fairfield, where she majored in psychology with a minor in education, Schatzlein finished with 1,150 career points, averaging 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a senior to become the first guard from the program since 2008 to earn All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference first team honors. For her career, she remains third with 218 3-point field goals, second with 621 3-point attempts, fifth with a .351 3-point field goal percentage and tied for fifth with 125 games played. She was named to the All-MAAC third team in 2015 and to the All-Rookie Team in 2013. The Stags made three appearances in the postseason Women’s Basketball Invitational during her time at Fairfield.

A resident of Henrico, Virginia, where she is a registered nurse, Schatzlein will be presented for her Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame honor by her friend Sue Crisafi, a fellow Hall of Fame recipient.