MACON, Ga – The South Georgia Technical College Jets and Lady Jets traveled to Macon to take on Central Georgia Technical College Wednesday night and the Lady Jets came away with their eighth consecutive win in an 84 – 73 contest but the Jets lost another close one, 69 – 63.
“It was a good conference win for the Lady Jets,” said South Georgia Technical College Athletic Director and Lady Jets head basketball coach James Frey. The Lady Jets are now 14 – 0 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) conference and 24 – 2 overall. The Lady Jets have four games remaining before the NJCAA Region XVII tournament.
The Jets and the Lady Jets will be celebrating Alumni/Sophomore Day on Saturday, February 8th when they match-up against Andrew College at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. as part of the alumni/sophomore celebration which includes an alumni game at 10 a.m. and cookout and tailgating sponsored by the Americus and Sumter County Chamber of Commerce beginning at 11:30 a.m.
After the Andrew game, the Jets and Lady Jets will both host Georgia Highlands on Wednesday, February 12th at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The two teams will travel to Southern Crescent Technical College on Wednesday, February 19th for a double-header in Griffin at 5:30 and 7 :30 p.m. and then the Lady Jets will travel to Albany Technical College on Saturday, February 22nd at 1 p.m. for their last regular season conference game. The NJCAA Region XVII tournament quarter-final games are set to begin on February 22nd. The semi-finals and the finals will be played on February 28th and 29th at the GCAA Champions home court.
South Georgia Technical College’s nationally ranked Lady Jets are currently in first place ahead of Georgia Highlands. The Lady Jets are 14 – 2 and second-ranked Georgia Highlands is 10 – 2. If the Lady Jets can win their next two conference games, they will have clinched the GCAA regular season championship.
“Every game is important but we need to continue to win out in the regular season conference games. We were able to finish the regular season with an 18 – 0 undefeated record last year for the first time since I have been coaching here and it was only the second time in the 16-year history of the program. Once we clinch the regular season GCAA title, then we will start focusing on the NJCAA Region XVII tournament and move forward in the hopes of returning to the NJCAA National Tournament for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time in seven years,” said Coach Frey.
The Lady Jets were led by sophomore forward Yasriyyah Wazeerud-Din in scoring against Central Georgia Tech. Wazeerud-Din had a total of 27 points. She was five of seven from the three-point line and four of four from the foul line. She also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Sophomores Shamari Tyson and Anna McKendree were the other two Lady Jets in double-digits. Tyson had a double-double 20 points and 10 assists. She hit four of six three point attempts, had seven rebounds, and four steals. McKendree had 11 points which included three three-point shots. She also contributed four rebounds, four assists and seven steals in that game.
Freshman center Feme Sikuzani scored nine points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and sophomore Niya Goudelock tossed in six points, had four rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Sarah Lwambo came away with four points, Hope Butera, 3; and Flore Ngasamputu and Oumy Gueye, both scored two points.
In the men’s game, Central Georgia Tech and South Georgia Tech were neck and neck in the first half. The Titans were able to pull ahead 28 – 27 at the end of the first half but South Georgia Tech had a two-point lead, 50 – 48 with 9:41 in the second half. Central Georgia Tech came back at the end to clinch the 69 – 63 GCAA win. The Jets are now 3 – 7 in the conference and 10 – 14 overall. They have a chance to move up in the conference Saturday when they face Andrew College which is 3 – 6 and 14 – 8 overall. SGTC lost to Andrew 77 – 73 in their first match-up this season. Andrew College is sixth in the GCAA standings and SGTC is currently seventh.