Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

From Staff Reports

AMERICUS – The South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets (SGTC) remained second in the nation for the second week in a row in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division I women’s basketball national poll released this week. This is the highest ranking ever achieved by the Lady Jets in their 18-year history. They first achieved the second place national ranking in February of 2021 and then again last week.

The Lady Jets are 18 – 1 overall and their only loss of the year was a 76-61 defeat at the hands of the top-ranked Gulf Coast State College in their opening game of the season. Gulf Coast moved to first place in the nation two weeks ago and is currently 16 – 0 overall.

Trinity Valley is ranked third in the NJCAA with a 14 – 1 record followed by Northwest Florida State (13-2) and Blinn (12-1).  Eastern Florida State (16-1) is sixth in the nation followed by Southern Idaho (17-2), McLennan (12-1), Collin County (13-0), and Eastern Arizona (12-2).

South Georgia Technical College is still the only Georgia College ranked in the NJCAA Top 25 poll but East Georgia State College did earn an honorable mention. The Lady Jets will travel to Swainsboro on January 28^th for a rematch with East Georgia. The Lady Jets defeated East Georgia in Americus 86 – 74 on Friday, December 9.

SGTC Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach James Frey is pleased with the rankings but also realizes that a ranking is only as good as the team is on any given night.  “I am pleased that the NJCAA rankings are reflecting the amount of work our young ladies are putting in.  But at the same time, we now have to go out and live up to that ranking every time we set foot on the court. As quickly as all this came in, it can go away, without humility and work,” explained Coach Frey, who added that they will continue taking it one game at a time.

In addition to the 2^nd place ranking in the national poll, the SGTC Lady Jets also had five players to be recognized for their individual efforts on the court.   The five Lady Jets featured in the national rankings include: sophomore center Fanta Gassama, sophomore Loes Rozing, sophomore Alexia Dizeko, sophomore Luana Leite and freshman guard Veronika Palfi.

Gassama, 6’ 1” center from Mataro, Spain, is currently listed as 3^rd in the country in total rebounds with 243.  She is also listed as 4^th in defensive rebounds per game with an average of 8.8 and ranked 8th in total rebounds per game with an average of 12.8.  She was featured in two other categories.  She was 25^th in total points scored with 258 this season and 21^st in offensive rebounds per game with an average of 4.0.

Lady Jets sophomore guard Alexia Dizeko, 5’ 11” from Sion, Switzerland, is currently 10^th in the nation in total points scored with 294. Sophomore guard Luana Leite, 5’ 7” from Sao Paolo, Brazil, and freshman guard Veronika Palfi are both ranked in three-point percentage shooting.  Leite is making 49% of her attempts and is 7^th in the nation while Palfi is making 41.5 of her attempts and is tied for 35^th in the nation.

Sophomore point guard Loes Rozing, 5’ 10” from Heiloo, Netherlands is the other Lady Jet ranked and she is currently 30^th in assists per game averaging 4.6.

The Lady Jets will play their next five games on the road.  They travel to Denmark, SC on January 11^th to play Denmark Tech at 4 p.m. Then they travel to Cuthbert on January 14^th for a 1 p.m. game against Andrew College.  They travel to Albany Tech on Saturday, January 21 for a conference match-up at 2 p.m. before returning to Denmark Tech on January 25^th and Swainsboro to face East Georgia on January 28. The Lady Jets next home game will be on February 1^st against Central Georgia Tech at 5:30 p.m. as part of a double-header with the Jets and Andrew College at 7:30 p.m.