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From Staff Reports

LUBBOCK, TX – South Georgia Technical College sophomore center Fanta Gassama was one of 13 players named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Women’s basketball All-Tournament team recently.

Gassama, a 6’ 1” center from Matro, Spain, helped lead the South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets to the Elite Eight round of the NJCAA Division I National Tournament at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock, Texas.  Gassama had 12 points and nine rebounds in the Lady Jets 54 – 49 win over Moberly Area Community College in the Sweet Sixteen round of play in the NJCAA National Tournament in Lubbock, Texas.

She came back and posted 12 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in the Lady Jets loss to Northwest Florida State in the quarterfinal game.  The Lady Raiders from Florida went on to capture the 2023 NJCAA National Title after defeating 4^th seeded Southern Idaho 69 – 56 in the semi-finals and then taking a 66 – 63 overtime win over 3^rd ranked Trinity Valley in the championship game.

Sakima Walker, sophomore center, for the Northwest Florida State Lady Raiders was selected as the NJCAA Division I women’s basketball Most Valuable Player and her coach Bart Walker was named Coach of the Tournament.  Randy Rogers, coach of Southern Idaho, won the Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship Award.

Joining Gassama on the NJCAA National All-Tournament Team were:  Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu and Elli Garnett of Eastern Florida; Imani smith of Gulf Coast State College; Destiney McPhaul and Zayla Tinner of Northwest Florida State; Nya Valentine of Shelton State; Alyssa Christensen of Southern Idaho; Ashanti Barnes, Abby Carter and Briana Peguero of Trinity Valley; and Brooklyn Gray of Wabash Valley.

Fanta Gassama was the second leading scorer for the Lady Jets this season averaging 13.3 points per game.  She was the team’s leading rebounder with an average of 13.1 per outing.  She averaged 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block.  The 6’ 1” center shot 50% from the field and was a 71.7% free throw shooter.

In addition to being named to the NJCAA National All Tournament team, Gassama was selected to the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association First Team for her performance on the court during the regular season.

The South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets were seeded number one in the NJCAA prior to the tournament and had held that ranking for the last nine weeks of the season.  This was the first time a South Georgia Technical College basketball team had ever received the top ranking.

The Lady Jets finished the season, 33 – 2.  This is the best record ever posted by a South Georgia Tech intercollegiate squad.  They were also undefeated in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association with a perfect 15 – 0 record and won the GCAA Conference Title as well as the NJCAA Region 17 tournament and the Southwest District championship.