The following was printed on Mark Merriman's HOF
plaque:
A sharp-shooting transfer from nearby Hillsdale College, Mark
Merriman took the Siena Heights men’s basketball team to the
next level during his two years as a Saint. Prior to
Merriman’s arrival, the Saints had never qualified for the
NAIA National Championship Tournament. Merriman led the
team in scoring in each of his two seasons at Siena Heights; and
more importantly, he helped lead them to two straight NAIA District
#23 tournament championships and two trips to Kansas City’s
Kemper Arena and the NAIA Division I National Championship
Tournaments. The Saints’ first-ever trip to the
national tournament in 1990 was a memorable one for the Saints and
for Merriman. As an unseeded team, the Saints upset Southern
Arkansas and Saint Ambrose before falling to East Central
University in the quarterfinals. Merriman led the Saints in
scoring during their “Cinderella” tournament run and
was named to the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament
Team. The 1989 Siena Heights men’s basketball team set
a school record for wins in a season (31) and was the first team
inducted into the SHU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Merriman
was named to the NAIA All-District #23 Team in each of his two
seasons at Siena Heights. He finished his career with 1,257
points and ranks #18 all-time among all Saints’
players. Mark shared Co-Most Valuable Player honors with
fellow Saint William Clyburn in 1989 and 1990. The Siena
Heights men’s basketball team had an overall record of 60
wins and fourteen losses with Merriman on the
court.
