The South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets were able to retain the first-place position in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division I women’s basketball poll for the fourth consecutive week. The Lady Jets received all 10 first place votes based on their 23 – 1 record.
The Lady Jets had the week off after two conference games had to be rescheduled. Central Georgia Tech and Andrew College both requested that their games last week be postponed. The Lady Jets will travel to Georgia Highlands on Wednesday, February 8th and then host Andrew College on Thursday, February 9th at 5:30 p.m. The Central Georgia Tech game is set for Monday, February 13th at 5:30 p.m. in the Hangar. South Georgia Technical College is still the only Georgia College ranked in the NJCAA Top 25.
The top seven spots in the poll remained the same this week. Behind South Georgia Tech is Eastern Florida State (23 – 1), Northwest Florida State (19 – 2), Blinn (21- 1), Southern Idaho (23- 2), Trinity Valley (20 – 1) and Gulf Coast State (20 – 2) in the second through seventh place positions. Eastern Arizona (22 – 1) dropped from eighth to 14th after a loss this week.
Collin (19 – 1) moved into the eighth-place position followed by McLennan (19 – 2), and Jones (16- 3) to close out the top 10 spots. Dodge City (21- 2), Wabash Valley (22 – 1), Shelton State (20 – 3), Eastern Arizona (22 – 1) and Indian River State (23 – 3) were in the 11th – 15th places this week.
South Georgia Tech’s only loss this season was against Gulf Coast, 76 – 61 in Florida in the opening game of the season. Gulf Coast had been the top-ranked team prior to two losses this season and now they are in 7th place.
In addition to the 1st place ranking in the national poll, the SGTC Lady Jets also had five players 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 3rd in the country in total rebounds with 309. She is also listed as 4th in defensive rebounds per game with an average of 9.2 and moved up to 5th in total rebounds per game with an average of 13.4. She was also 16th in offensive rebounds per game with an average of 4.2.
Lady Jets sophomore guard Alexia Dizeko, 5’ 11” from Sion, Switzerland, dropped to 30th in the nation in total points scored with 364. She moved up to 39th in field goal percentage shooting making 55.3 percent of her attempts from the floor.
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 49.2% of her attempts and is 3rd in the nation while Palfi is making 44.3 of her attempts and is 10th in the nation.
Sophomore point guard Loes Rozing, 5’ 10” from Heiloo, Netherlands is the other Lady Jet ranked and she is currently 28th in assists per game averaging 4.8.
The Lady Jets travel to Georgia Highlands on Wednesday, February 8th. Georgia Highlands is currently in third place in the conference with a 6 – 4 and 11 – 13 record. The Jets will return home on Thursday, February 9th for the rescheduled game with Andrew College at 5:30 and then remain at home for the rescheduled game with Central Georgia Tech on Monday, February 13th. All of those games are at 5:30 p.m.
They close out the regular season at home with a game on Thursday, February 16th against Middle Georgia Prep, followed by a Saturday, February 18th 1 p.m. game against Albany Tech and then at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 25th against East Georgia.