Nov 27th, 2019
Jackson State's men's and women's basketball teams have started the 2019 season undefeated, and two Green Jays have earned Tennessee Community College Athletic Association player of the week honors. Both teams have solid 3-0 conference starts and are 8-0 in overall play according to the TCCAA website. After having a rough campaign in 2018, this strong start propels the Green Jays to the top of the TCCAA standings for 2019.
Men's head coach Deron Hines understands what the start could mean to this team. "We were picked to finish 9th in our league so we have a lot to prove. With the good start we have gotten off to we need to stay focused because people will start targeting us every night," said Hines. If the Green Jays maintain their current momentum, they will finish well ahead of the projected 9th place ranking.
Women's head coach Kelvin Lester appreciates the start but still feels like he can get even more from his team. "We still have a lot of areas to improve in, but I'm proud of the effort and fight that this team shows night in and night out," said Lester. The wins have come in a variety of ways including a come from behind 68-62 win over Chattanooga State Community College and a 93-55 blowout win against Columbia State Community College.
On November 19, sophomore guard Kavion Hancock was named Tennessee Community College Athletic Association player of the week by averaging 19 points, five assists, and four rebounds while shooting just over 53% from the field and adding 2.6 steals a game. Hancock played a vital role in wins over Bethel University Junior Varsity, Chattanooga State Community College, and Blue Mountain College Junior Varsity. Freshman guard Alexis Akins earned women's basketball player of the week on November 26. Akins averages 18.6 points per game, shooting over 50% from the field and adding four rebounds per game according to the TCCAA website.
Both teams resume action at home on Wednesday, December 4th with the women's game starting at 5:30 and the men's contest at 7:30 as they host Southwest Tennessee Community College.