DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (July 1, 2024) – For the ninth year, Mercy University Athletics will recap the year by counting down the Top-10 most memorable moments of the 2023-24 season, with all 10 sports represented.
Mercy University Athletics will release a Top-10 moment, as chosen by the athletics staff, with a recap every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next four weeks, culminating with the top moment from the 2023-24 athletic year being unveiled on Monday, July 22nd.
No. 10 – Garrett Kirkland Sets School Record for Career Three-Pointers and Career Games Played
Coming in at No. 10 in our 2023-24 Top-10 Moments is graduate student Garrett Kirkland from men's basketball who set a school record for career three-pointers and games played.
Kirkland entered the 2023-24 needing just 25 three-pointers to break the school record of 182 three-pointers set by Chanze Wellington in 2008. The native of Springdale, Maryland also needed just 26 games played to set a new school record for games played. The record entering the season was 103 games played set by Ilee Coleman in 1992, Michael Marin in 2009 and Ed Wilson in 2011.
The graduate student opened the season with a combined four three-pointers and 12 points in the Mavericks first two games against Caldwell on Dominican. Kirkland finally found his rhythm at Felician on November 13th when he connected on a season-high-tying seven trifectas and finished with 21 points against the Golden Falcons.
Kirkland followed that performance up with a three against Southern Connecticut State and Goldey-Beacom before recording nine points on three threes against Post on November 19th. The guard then had four triples against Bridgeport on November 21st with 13 points to conclude the month of November.
The guard drained two more threes against St. Thomas Aquinas and Staten Island to bring his career total to 182 career threes, tying the school record set by Wellington in 2008. The Mavericks headed down to the University of the District of Columbia on December 9th, not far from Kirkland's hometown, with the graduate student needing one more three to set a new school record. Kirkland broke the record at the 5:25 mark of the first half with his lone three of the game, giving him a new school record of 183 career three-pointers.
Following the holiday break, Mercy resumed action on January 3rd against Cheyney and Kirkland contributed two threes and eight points as men's basketball earned their first win of the season with an 81-65 win over the Wolves. After a five-point outing against Bloomfield on January 10th, Kirkland exploded for a season-high 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting from downtown at ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan on January 12th.
Kirkland combined for seven more three-pointers against Chestnut Hill and D'Youville before going 5-of-10 from downtown with 17 points at Staten Island on January 24th. The graduate student added three more triples against UDC and Daemen to bring his season total for threes to 59 with three games left in the season. The single-season school record for threes of 70 set by Wellington in 2008 was in reach for Kirkland heading into the final stretch of the season.
The graduate student played a key part in the Mavericks second win of the season over ECC foe Queens on February 21st, going 5-of-9 from downtown to help lead Mercy to a 91-87 over the Knights. Kirkland nailed two more threes at Molloy on February 24th and headed into the final contest of the year needing one more game played to set a school record for games played and needed five threes to set a school record for threes in a season.
Kirkland came through in his final game as a Maverick and on Senior Day with 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting from downtown against St. Thomas Aquinas on March 2nd. The guard set a school record with his 104th career game played and the final three-pointer of his career with 6:56 left in the second half gave him a single-season school record 71 three-pointers during the 2023-24 season.
The guard averaged 9.9 points per game and ranked third in the ECC in three-pointers made. He ended his career with a school-record 104 games played and 229 three-pointers. Kirkland concluded his five-year career with 932 points and shot 34.9 percent from downtown.
Kirkland not only excelled on the court, but also in the classroom, having been named the ECC Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice. The guard also earned the ECC Elite 19 Award for men's basketball in 2021 and was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team three times. He also earned the department's Male Athletic Director's Award of Excellence in April.
Kirkland will go down as one of the best shooters in program history and as one of the best all-around student-athletes Mercy has produced in recent years.
Schedule for the Top-10 Moments of the 2023-24 Season
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next four weeks, the Mercy University Athletic Department will release the Top-10 moments one at a time beginning with the No. 10 moment on Monday, July 1st. The No. 1 moment will be unveiled on Monday, July 22nd.
No. 1 – July 22nd
No. 2 – July 19th
No. 3 – July 17th
No. 4 – July 15th
No. 5 – July 12th
No. 6 – July 10th
No. 7 – July 8th
No. 8 - July 5th
No. 9 – July 3rd
No. 10 – July 1st
