Four SGTC basketball players earn national recognition

February 18, 2026

SGTC Jets Jalexs Ewing (0), Matt Mbole (33), and Lady Jets Ja’Niya Broome (1), and Taja Bennett (4) were all recognized as individual leaders in the NJCAA Division 1 basketball standings this week.

South Georgia Technical College’s Matt Mbole, a 6’ 11” sophomore center for the Jets, is ranked first in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in rebounds and Lady Jets freshman guard Ja’Niya Broome is listed as second in the NJCAA in points per game this season. Lady Jets Sophomore guard Taja Bennett and Jets sophomore guard Jalexs Ewing were the other players recognized as among the best in the nation.

Mbole, who is from Yaounde, Cameroon, is averaging 12 rebounds per game this season after 22 games. He has consistently remained in the top five in the nation and was ranked third last week. A player from Eastern Arizona College is currently in second place with an average of 11.5 over 26 games this season.

Mbole was joined in the national ranking list by Lady Jets freshman guard Ja’Niya Broome from Hamilton, GA, sophomore guard Taja Bennett from Dallas, Texas and Jets sophomore guard Jalexs Ewing from Augusta, GA.

In the NJCAA women’s Division 1 rankings, freshman guard Ja’Niya Broome is ranked 2^rd in the nation in points per game this season. She moved up one spot from last week. She is averaging 22.5 points over 24 games. She was also listed as the GCAA Women’s Player of the Week this week.

Broome is .6 points behind Malasia Jamison from Denmark Technical College who is currently tops in the nation. Maggie Westling from North Dakota State College of Science is second averaging 21.7 points per game.

Broome’s teammate, sophomore Taja Bennett, 5’ 9” guard from Dallas, is currently ranked 23^rd in the NJCAA in points per game. She was tied for 16^th last week. She is averaging 18.5 points over 24 games in the NJCAA Division I women’s basketball rankings. She has been recognized as the GCAA Player of the Week in the women’s division 1 rankings three times.

The fourth South Georgia Technical College player to receive national recognition was sophomore guard Jalexs Ewing. He is currently listed as 25^th in the nation in points per game with 19.5 over 21 games.

Both the Jets and the Lady Jets are improving on the season. The Jets are on a two-game winning streak and are currently listed as 4^th in the GCAA with a 6 – 4 and 10 – 14 overall record. The Lady Jets have won three straight and are tied for first place in the GCAA with East Georgia State College with identical 7 – 2 records. The Lady Jets are currently 12 – 12 on the season.

The Jets and Lady Jets hope to add to their win column this week as they host Southern Crescent and South Georgia State College at 5:30 and 7:30 tonight (Wednesday, February 18^th) and then again on Saturday when they have a double-header with Andrew College. Games begin at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday in the Hangar.