Joe Girard III Becomes New York's All-Time Leading Scorer
Joe Girard III ‘19 has further cemented his legacy as one of the best offensive players to play in the state of New York by breaking Lance Stephenson’s previous mark of 2,946 points set during his four year stay at Abraham Lincoln (NY).
Coming into Tuesday's game against Amsterdam, Girard III needed 39 points to move clear past Stephenson and he reached just that late in fourth quarters at the free-throw line. “It’s a huge honor that I’m really proud of,” he said. I couldn’t do it without [my] teammates, coaches and [the] supports I’ve had. They’ve helped and believe in me so much and I couldn’t thank them enough.”
Amsterdam, the same school Girard dropped 60 on earlier this season tried their best to keep him from scoring his 39th point but they fouled him late in the game, and Girard III knocked down a free throw with 1:40 left in the fourth moving him clear past Stephenson. He finished the game with 44 points, while connecting on five three-point attempts in a 74-68 win.
The feat came just about a month removed from moving pass former BYU star and NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette for most points in Glens Falls history on an early three in a game against Scotia-Glenville (NY). At the time, Fredette told him that there was so much more to accomplish and urged him to not stop now. Even after breaking the state scoring record, Girard III didn’t have any plans to celebrate, just kept reiterating that he’s focused on winning.
“I would like to win a state championship in basketball,” he said. “I have one [a championship] in football but would also like to win one, if not two, in basketball. We all just want to win.”
Considering his age, there is no reason why those goals cannot be attained. Especially with all the support he receives from his coaches, his teammates and the entire Glens Falls community that has helped catapult him into the top spot.
“I’d just like to thank everyone in the Glens Falls community,” he said. “My family has supported me throughout this whole thing and kept me on the right path. My teammates and coaches have believed in me and trusted me to help them win, and the community as a whole has done a really good job of rallying around my team and it is keeping us going.”
Being the all-time leading scorer has its perks. Since Girard III has upped his game by averaging 50, many different colleges have taken notice, including the blue bloods that can recruit competitively against anyone.
“I still have the same amount of schools coming after me,” he said. “I have 17 offers and interest from schools like Duke, Villanova, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Ohio State, USC, UConn and Oklahoma.”
