Three SGTC basketball players earn national recognition

February 24, 2026
SGTC Jets 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.
SGTC Jets 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 for the second week in a row and Lady Jets freshman guard Ja’Niya Broome is listed as second in the NJCAA women’s Division 1 rankings in points per game for the second week in a row.

    Lady Jets Sophomore guard Taja Bennett was also listed among the leading scorers in the NJCAA Division 1 women’s rankings.

   Mbole, who is from Yaounde, Cameroon, is averaging 12.1 rebounds per game this season after 24 games.  He has consistently remained in the top five in the nation.  Jermaine Coston Jr., from Richard Bland College is in second place with an average of 11.7 rebounds over 19 games this season.

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

   In the NJCAA women’s Division 1 rankings, freshman guard Ja’Niya Broome is ranked 2rd in the nation in points per game this season.  She is averaging 22.7 points over 26 games.  She was also listed as the GCAA Women’s Player of the Week last week.

   Broome is .4 points behind Malasia Jamison from Denmark Technical College who is currently tops in the nation averaging 23.1 points per game.  Broome’s teammate, sophomore Taja Bennett, 5’ 9” guard from Dallas, is currently tied for 22nd in the NJCAA in points per game.  She is averaging 18.4 points over 26 games. She has been recognized as the GCAA Player of the Week in the women’s division 1 rankings three times.

   Both the Jets and the Lady Jets are improving on the season.  The Jets are currently tied for 3rd in the GCAA with a 7 – 5 and 11 – 15 overall record.  The Lady Jets have won six straight and are in first place in the GCAA.  They were tied with East Georgia State College but East Georgia had to forfeit several games due to an illegal player and are now 1 – 10 in the conference.   Albany Tech is currently in second place with a 9 – 4 record.

  The Jets and Lady Jets hope to add to their win column this week.  The Lady Jets traveled to Swainsboro tonight for a make-up game with East Georgia and won 79 – 70.  Both teams will travel to Griffin to face Southern Crescent on Wednesday, February 25th for 5:30 and 7:30 games before returning home on Saturday, February 28th for the SGTC Homecoming, Alumni and Sophomore Day as when they host Albany Tech.  Games begin at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday in the Hangar.