SGTC Jets and Lady Jets sweep Albany Tech

Published 4:20 pm Thursday, January 24, 2019

From Staff Reports

 

ALBANY – The South Georgia Technical College Jets overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half to take an 84-80 over Albany Technical College on Wednesday, January 23, at ATC..

The Jets have now won four games in a row. They improve to 4-2 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) and improve their overall record to 8-12.

They 16th nationally-ranked SGTC Lady Jets also ended up in the winner’s circle as they defeated ATC 76-46 to remain unbeaten in the GCAA at 11-0 and have an overall record of 19-3.

“Tonight was a big win for us,” SGTC men’s head coach Travis Garrett said. “The guys played hard and didn’t give up when we got down. It’s hard to win on the road, but three of our last four wins have come from away games. I am very proud of our guys’ effort in the second half against Albany Tech.”

The Jets were trailing 51-38 in the second half, but made the comeback in the second half. With the Jets trailing 72-70 with five minutes left in the game, freshman guard Toriano Lewis scored to tie the game. Both teams missed several scoring opportunities over the next three minutes. Then with approximately two minutes left, D.J. Fisher hit a three-pointer to put the Jets ahead 76-75.

Freshman point guard Jaylan McKinney was clutch from the foul line down the stretch. McKinney sank 3 of 4 free throws in the final seconds. Freshman guard Justin Johnson also scored on a dunk to seal the 84-80 victory for SGTC.

Johnson led the Jets in scoring with 22 points and McKinney scored 11 on the night. McKinney also got it done on the defensive end, tallying three steals in the last few minutes of the game. Johnson and McKinney were the only Jets to score in double figures. SGTC sophomore forward Adonis Green also had a good night. Green scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds.

The Jets are currently in fourth place in the GCAA standings at 4-2. They are averaging 72.2 points per game. Each of their last four wins were by five points or less and one came in overtime. “I think that with each win, our team is building confidence,” Garrett said. “Hopefully we can continue to work hard and build on the success and begin to move up in the standings.”

Central Georgia Tech is currently in first place in the GCAA at 6-1, followed by Georgia Highlands and Gordon State College, who are both tied for second place at 5-1.

The SGTC Lady Jets (19-3, 11-0 GCAA) dismantled ATC 76-46. They took a 23-13 lead at the end of the first quarter and increased their lead to 43-25 at the half. They outscored the Lady Titans 35-21 in the second half to seal the 30-point victory.

Sophomore guard Alyssa Nieves, who was recently selected as the GCAA Player of the Week, showed why by scoring 19 points to lead SGTC. Sophomore forward Ricka Jackson scored 16 points and Bigue Sarr closed out the double-digit scoring with 13 points.

The Lady Jets will travel to Barnesville, GA to take on Gordon State College on Saturday, January 26. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Both teams will travel to Swainsboro, GA on Wednesday, January 30, for a conference double-header against East Georgia State College. The Lady jets will tip off at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Jets at 7:30 p.m.

The next home game for both teams will be on Saturday, February 2, against Central Georgia Tech. Tip-off for the Lady Jets’ game will be at 1 p.m., followed by the Jets at 3 p.m.