DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (July 17, 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. 3 – Women's Basketball Qualifies for NCAA Tournament for First Time Since 1985
Coming in at No. 3 in our 2023-24 Top-10 Moments is women's basketball who qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985 and advanced to the ECC Championship Final for the first time in program history.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks were picked fourth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 17-10 last season, winning their most games in a season since 1989. Mercy also had their most ECC wins (11) since 1997 and the Mavericks third-place finish was the highest in program history during the 2022-23 season. Mercy would top all those accomplishments during the 2023-24 campaign.
The Mavericks opened their 2023-24 season on November 11th when they faced perennial East Region power Saint Anselm at Southern Connecticut State. Graduate student Katie Wall had a career-high 40 points and a game-high eight rebounds as Mercy earned a 62-58 win over the Hawks. The Mavericks won their season opener for the second straight year and defeated Saint Anselm for the first time. Wall went 12-of-20 from the floor and 12-of-14 from the foul line.
The following day the Mavericks faced the hosts Southern Connecticut State in another tough matchup against an NE10 school. Wall had a game-high 26 points and junior Jaclyn Stanavich netted 14 points as the Mavericks earned a 53-43 win over the regionally-ranked Owls. Mercy defeated Southern Connecticut State for the first time, with the Owls being ranked seventh in the D2CSC Preseason East Region Top 10 poll. The Mavericks started 2-0 for the first time since 2017 and Wall was named ECC Player of the Week on November 13th.
After the pair of wins to open the season, Mercy was regionally-ranked for the first time during the 2023-24 season at No. 10 in the D2CSC poll. The Mavericks resumed action on November 15th at Bloomfield and sophomore Angelina Barrera had a game-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Wall and junior Kayla Halvorsen combined for 15 points as Mercy earned a 51-48 win over the Bears to move to 3-0 on the year. The Mavericks started their season 3-0 for the first time since 2014.
Mercy made it four wins in a row to start the season on November 18th when they earned a 68-66 win at NE10 foe Adelphi. The Mavericks trailed the Panthers 66-61 with 31 seconds left before a Stanavich jumper made it 66-63 with 25 seconds on the clock. Wall came up with a steal and was fouled, connecting on both free throws to make it 66-65 with 23 seconds remaining. Following an Adelphi timeout, Halvorsen came up with a steal on the inbounds pass and connected on the layup to put the Mavericks ahead 67-66 with 18 seconds left. After another Adelphi timeout, Wall came up with a steal after Adelphi missed their initial shot attempt and went 1-of-2 from the line to give Mercy a 68-66 lead with 10 seconds left. The Panthers could not score on their ensuing possession and the Mavericks earned the 68-66 come-from-behind win. Halvorsen had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and Wall had 24 points. Stanavich contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds and Barrera added a game-high 13 rebounds. Mercy started 4-0 for the first time since 1975 and defeated the Panthers for the first time since 2009. After the win over Adelphi, Barrera and Stanavich were named to the ECC Honor Roll.
Lagas and the Mavericks were ranked a program-best seventh in the D2CSC East Region poll ahead of their home opener against Bridgeport on November 21st. Stanavich had a team-high 11 points and Barrera added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds as the Mavericks earned a 51-43 win over the Purple Knights to move to 5-0 on the year.
Mercy concluded the week at Goldey-Beacom on November 26th. Despite a combined 43 points from Wall and Stanavich, the Mavericks dropped their first game of the season, 67-66, to the Lightning. Following the 1-1 week for the Mavericks, Mercy remained at No. 7 in the D2CSC poll and Stanavich was named to the ECC Honor Roll again on November 27th.
The Mavericks got back to their winning ways on November 29th when they earned a 66-50 win over Post. Stanavich and Wall combined for 41 points and Barrera added a double-double as Mercy moved to 6-1 on the year. Mercy ended the week with their ECC opener at St. Thomas Aquinas on December 2nd. Wall had a game-high 28 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, but the Mavericks dropped a 73-59 decision in Sparkill. Wall set a new school record for career three-pointers with 193, surpassing the previous record of 189 set by Ashley Borofsky in 2011. Wall was named to the ECC Honor Roll and was tabbed Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention.
Mercy sat at No. 10 in the D2CSC East Region poll, heading into their ECC tilt against Staten Island on December 6th. The Mavericks picked up their first ECC win of the season with a 60-51 win over the Dolphins at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center. Barrera had a game-high 17 points with 10 rebounds and senior Maria Tedesco had 13 points. Wall nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Mercy improved to 7-2 overall and 1-1 in ECC play with the win.
Lagas and the Mavericks headed to the nation's capital on December 9th where they faced unbeaten and regionally-ranked UDC. Wall had a team-high 22 points and Stanavich had 18 points and 11 rebounds, but Mercy fell 82-68, to fall to 1-2 in ECC play. Wall was named ECC Co-Player of the Week on December 11th and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention.
The Mavericks remained at No. 10 in the D2CSC East Region and had nearly a week off before heading down to Florida to take on Saint Leo and Columbus State. Mercy opened the trip against Saint Leo on December 15th and despite a team-high 11 points from Stanavich the Mavericks dropped a 48-41 decision to the Lions. Mercy concluded the trip the next day against Columbus State at Saint Leo, dropping a 67-54 decision to the Cougars. Stanavich had 25 points with 10 rebounds and was named to the ECC Honor Roll on December 18th.
Mercy concluded the 2023 portion of their schedule with an exhibition at Division I Sacred Heart on December 31st. The Mavericks entered the New Year at 7-5 on the year and had lost three games in a row. Mercy began the 2024 part of their schedule at home against Caldwell on January 3rd. Barrera had a career-high 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Mavericks to a 78-68 win over the Cougars, snapping a three-game losing streak. After the win over Caldwell, Barrera was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week and Wall and Stanavich were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Barrera was also named MBWA Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention.
The Mavericks resumed ECC play at Roberts Wesleyan on January 12th. Five Mavericks scored in double figures as Mercy earned a 77-72 win over the Redhawks to improve to 9-5 overall and 2-2 in ECC play. Stanavich had a team-high 18 points, Barrera had 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, Halvorsen had a season-high 15 points, Wall netted 11 points and Tedesco added 10 points in the win. Stanavich was tabbed to the ECC Honor Roll following the win.
Lagas and the Mavericks headed back on the road and suffered their first loss of 2024 with a 49-43 loss at Chestnut Hill on January 16th. Barrera had 11 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. Mercy got back in the win column on January 19th when they earned a 57-55 win over D'Youville in Dobbs Ferry to improve to 10-6 overall and 3-2 in ECC play. The Saints held a 55-54 lead with 31 seconds left before Stanavich connected on a jumper in the paint, after a Mercy timeout, to give the Mavericks a 56-55 lead with 14 seconds left. Wall came up with a steal on a jump ball, giving Mercy possession, and went 1-of-2 from the line to give the Mavericks the 57-55 win. Mercy improved to 5-0 at home and had now recorded double-digit wins in three straight seasons for the first time since they had six straight seasons of 10 or more wins from 1987-93. Stanavich had a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds in the win.
Mercy ended the busy week, hosting ECC powerhouse Daemen on January 21st. The Mavericks held a 27-22 lead at halftime, following a sophomore Kyla Nembach half-court three at the buzzer. The Wildcats stormed back in the second half and earned the 55-51 win over Mercy. Daemen won their 16th straight meeting against the Mavericks. Stanavich had 14 points, Barrera had a double-double and Nembach added a career-high 12 points. Stanavich was named to the ECC Honor Roll following the Daemen game.
The Mavericks were back in action on January 24th when they lost a heartbreaking 73-71 game to Staten Island. The loss dropped Mercy to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in ECC play. Stanavich had a game-high 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting and Barrera had 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Mercy returned home and hosted UDC on January 27th, coming away with a 67-50 win, to move to 11-8 overall and 4-4 in ECC play. Wall had a game-high 20 points and Stanavich netted 18 points. The 17-point margin of victory was the largest margin of victory all-time against the Firebirds. Stanavich and Barrera were named to the ECC Honor Roll following the UDC win.
Lagas and the Mavericks made it two wins in a row on January 31st when they earned a 69-60 overtime win at Queens, overcoming a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to earn the win. Mercy trailed 52-39 with 8:54 remaining in regulation and the Knights held a 57-55 lead with 10 seconds left. Wall drove to the lane and connected on a jumper to tie the game at 57-57 as time expired, forcing overtime. The Mavericks outscored Queens 12-3 in the overtime period to earn the 69-60 win. Wall had a team-high 21 points and Stanavich added 16 points. Mercy ended the week by making it three wins in a row when they earned a convincing 73-47 win against Molloy on February 3rd. Wall posted a game-high 23 points and Stanavich netted 21 points. Barrera had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Tedesco had 10 points. The win moved Mercy to 13-8 overall and 6-4 in ECC play. After the win over Molloy, Wall was named ECC Co-Player of the Week and Stanavich was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Wall was also named MBWA Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention.
The Mavericks were back receiving votes in the D2CSC East Region poll and hosted Roberts Wesleyan on February 9th. Stanavich and Barrera both had double-doubles and Wall had 18 points as the Mavericks cruised to a 71-54 win over the Redhawks to extend their winning streak to four games. Following the win, Stanavich was tabbed to the ECC Honor Roll.
Lagas and the Mavericks headed to Western New York for their annual trip to D'Youville and Daemen. Mercy opened the trip on February 16th at D'Youville and powered by a game-high 29 points from Wall the Mavericks earned a 70-65 win over the Saints. The win was the first at D'Youville in program history and Mercy extended their winning streak to five games.
Mercy concluded the trip playing at first-place Daemen on February 18th. The Mavericks had not beaten the Wildcats since 2016 and Daemen had won 23 straight home games entering the contest. Mercy outscored Daemen in three out of the four quarters to secure the impressive 50-44 road win. It was the first home loss for the Wildcats since February 18, 2022. The win also gave Mercy their fourth straight ECC Championship berth. Stanavich led the way with a game-high-tying 20 points and Nembach and Barrera combined for 19 points. The win extended the Mavericks winning streak to six games and moved Mercy to 16-8 overall and 9-4 in ECC play. Stanavich and Wall were named to the ECC Honor Roll following the win.
The Mavericks remained receiving votes in the D2CSC East Region poll and would host Queens on February 21st. A Barrera double-double and a career-high 12 points from sophomore Megan Marcotte helped lead the Mavericks to a 67-50 win over the Knights. Mercy matched their win total from last year and extended their win streak to seven games. The Mavericks had now recorded double-digit ECC wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.
The month of February concluded for the Mavericks with a game at Molloy on February 24th. Wall had a double-double and Stanavich and Barrera both scored in double figures as the Mavericks earned a 73-54 win. Marcotte added eight points and freshman Amani Abuhatab had six points in the win. Mercy improved to 18-8 overall and 11-4 in ECC play, and now had their most wins in a season since the 1985-86 season. Barrera was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week and Wall was tabbed to the Honor Roll, following the win over Molloy.
Mercy celebrated Senior Day on March 2nd when they hosted St. Thomas Aquinas. In a ceremony prior to the game, the Mavericks honored Wall and Tedesco for their contributions to the program. Mercy needed a win to secure a top two seed and a first-round bye in the following week's ECC Championship. In front of a packed house at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center, Wall and Stanavich combined for 36 points as the Mavericks earned a 57-52 win over the Spartans to extend their winning streak to nine games. Mercy ended the regular season at 19-8 overall and 12-4 in ECC play. The nine-game winning streak was the longest since 1985 and the 12 ECC wins were a school record. Mercy finished second in the ECC standings for the first time and secured a first-round bye in the next week's ECC Women's Basketball Championship for the first time. After the win over STAC, Wall was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week and Stanavich was tabbed to the Honor Roll.
Mercy entered the NCAA East Regional Rankings for the first time this season on March 6th, checking in at No. 8. Prior to the start of the ECC Championship, the ECC All-Conference Teams came out and Barrera was named Defensive Player of the Year, Lagas was named Coach of the Year and Wall and Stanavich were tabbed First Team All-ECC.
With their first-round bye, the Mavericks advanced to the Semifinals of the ECC Championship where they would face No. 3 seed St. Thomas Aquinas at Daemen on March 9th. The Spartans defeated No. 6 seed D'Youville to earn the right to face Mercy. The Mavericks fell behind 23-4 with 8:32 left in the first half. Mercy ended the half on a 12-3 run, finished off by an Abuhatab three, to head into halftime down just 10, 26-16. The Mavericks opened the second half on a 7-0 run to make it 26-23 before two STAC points made it 28-23. Mercy concluded the quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 31-30 lead after three quarters. The Mavericks carried their momentum over to the fourth quarter, scoring the first six points of the quarter to take a 37-30 lead with 7:23 left. Mercy led the rest of the way and earned the 59-48 come-from-behind victory. Stanavich had a game-high 25 points and Wall netted 15 points. Wall set a school record with her 118th career game played, surpassing the previous record of 117 set by Noreen Annunziata and Stacey Gillespie in 1986. Mercy earned their first postseason win since 1992 and advanced to the Final for the first time in program history. The winning streak was extended to 10 games, their longest since 1985, and the Mavericks had their first 20-win season since the 1984-85 season.
The Mavericks would face top seed Daemen in the ECC Championship Final on March 10th at Daemen. Mercy held their largest lead of the game, 48-40, with 5:57 left to play following a Stanavich jumper, a Wall three and Barrera jumper. The Wildcats went on a 12-0 run to take a 52-48 lead with 19 seconds left and held on for the 55-50 win to earn their third straight ECC Championship. Wall had a team-high 15 points and Stanavich had 11 points. Following the Championship, Stanavich and Wall were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Following the loss to Daemen in the ECC Championship Final, the Mavericks waited a few hours to see if their name would be called on the NCAA Selection Show. History would be made as they were selected as a No. 8 seed in the East Region and would play at No. 1 seed Bentley on March 15th. The Mavericks earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985.
Bentley entered the game at 26-5 and were ranked No. 12 nationally in the WBCA Top 25 poll. The Mavericks faced a tall task, but Stanavich gave the Mavericks an early 2-0 lead. Bentley scored seven straight points to take a 7-2 lead and later held a 9-4 lead with 6:42 left in the first quarter. Mercy closed the quarter on a 16-0 run to take a 20-9 lead after a Marcotte layup. The Mavericks headed into the second quarter up, 20-9, on the nationally-ranked Falcons. Bentley scored the first eight points of the second quarter to make it 20-17 before Stanavich connected on a three-point play to make it 23-17 with six minutes left in the half. The Falcons recorded six straight points to tie the game at 23-23 before Barrera gave Mercy a 25-23 lead with 3:31 left in the half. The Falcons closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 30-25 lead at halftime. Wall made two free throws to open the second half, making it 30-27, but Bentley went on an 11-1 run to take a 41-28 lead, and led the rest of the way to earn the 63-50 win over Mercy. Stanavich had a team-high 18 points in the loss. The Mavericks held their own against the nationally-ranked Falcons and saw their season come to an end in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985. Mercy ended the season 20-10 with their most wins since 1985, first appearance in the ECC Championship final, best regular season finish in the ECC in program history and their most ECC wins (12) in school history.
After their outstanding seasons, Wall and Stanavich were both named First Team All-Met and Lagas was tabbed Division II Coach of the Year. Wall averaged a team-high 16.0 points, 3.4 assists and 2.7 steals per game. The graduate student ranked third in the ECC in points per game and was in the top 10 in the ECC in both assists and steals per game. Wall ended her impressive five-year career ranked second in program history in points (1,742), seventh in assists (404), seventh in steals (251), first in games played (120), fifth in field goals made (552), first in three-pointers made (232) and ninth in points per game (14.5). Stanavich averaged 15.7 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game, ranking fifth in the ECC in points per game. The 11-time ECC Honor Roll recipient had four double-doubles and averaged a team-high 16.8 points per game in ECC play. Lagas became the first Mercy coach to be recognized as Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association after leading the Mavericks to their most wins (20) and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985.
The Mavericks also excelled in the classroom with Tedesco and Nembach being named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. The team also posted a 3.54 GPA in the fall and a 3.65 GPA in the spring.
The 2023-24 season was a historic one for the Mercy University women's basketball team and they will look to build upon that success in 2024-25.
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 – Women's Lacrosse Advances to ECC Championship Final for Seventh Straight Season
No. 5 – Men's Soccer Qualifies for ECC Championship for Fifth Time in Six Seasons and Hosts Semifinal
No. 6 – Women's Soccer Qualifies for ECC Championship for 10th Straight Season and Advances to Semifinals
No. 7 – Field Hockey Qualifies for NE10 Championship for First Time
No. 8 – Softball Qualifies for ECC Championship for Fourth Straight Year
No. 9 – Baseball Wins 20 Games for Fourth Time Since 2018
No. 10 – Garrett Kirkland Sets School Record for Career Three-Pointers and Games Played
