Lisa Merritt (2022) - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame

Lisa Merritt

Induction:
2022
Class:
1985

Four-year letterwinner from 1980-84 … One of only two women’s basketball players in school history to have her jersey retired … Her 1,747 points scored in a career is still the second-highest total in Cajun history even 37 years after her final playing season, only Kim Perrot (2,157 points) scored more in her career … Her career scoring average of 16.8 is still the fifth-highest in school history (1,747 points in 104 games … Her 723 career rebounds is also still the fifth-highest in school history … She also ranks third in USL history in career steals (261) and tenth all-time in career assists (245), and is the only player in Cajun history to rank in the career top 10 in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals … Her 571 points in the 1982-83 season is still the fourth-highest single-season total in UL history, and her 20.3 scoring average that season is the third-highest ever … Her 114 steals in 1983-84 remains the second-highest single-season total in school history … Led the Cajuns in scoring in her sophomore and junior years and was second on the team in her 1984 senior year … Led team in rebounding once, in field goal percentage twice and in free throw percentage three times in her career … Two-time All-Southland Conference selection in 1983 and 1984 … Her teams went 18-10 and 22-6 in her junior and senior seasons, the first-ever winning seasons for the program at the NCAA Division I level … Had career high scoring game of 35 points twice, against New Orleans (12/2/82) and Tampa (1/7/84), at the time it was USL’s single-game scoring record until broken by Aronji Johnson in 1985 (and later by Kim Perrot numerous times) … Career high rebounding game of 19 against Tulane (11/20/81), at the time the second-highest single-game total in Cajun history and still ranks tied for fifth in school history ... Joined the Dallas Diamonds of the Women’s American Basketball Association out of college, but the league folded that same year in 1984 … She enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served 20 years in that service before retiring.