South Georgia Tech’s Angela Tompkins named NJCAA Division I first team All-American for 2015 – 2016

South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets sophomore forward Angela Tompkins from Punta Gorda, Florida, was selected as a 2015-2016 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Women’s basketball first team All-American.

“I am so proud of Angie,” said South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets head coach James Frey. “She is very deserving of this honor. It is an honor to be recognized by the NJCAA as one of the best women’s basketball players in the country. She has worked hard and has been a great ambassador for our program and our college.” Tompkins is currently being recruited by a number of NCAA Division I universities to finish out her junior and senior seasons.

This is the first time that SGTC Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach James Frey has had a player selected to be an NJCAA first-team All-American, but this is his third player in four years at SGTC to earn NJCAA All-American honors.

Last season sophomore TaQuandra Mike was selected as an NJCAA Division I All-American Honorable Mention. And in 2013 – 2014, sophomore Shamekia “Polly” Murry, was selected as a second-team All-American. She and TaQuandra Mike helped lead the Lady Jets to their second NJCAA National Tournament in two years and the college’s best single season record of 30 wins and only five losses.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Frey. “Angie did an exceptional job for us this season and she was nominated and named as an NJCAA first team All-American despite the fact that we were two points shy of advancing to the national tournament this season.”

Tompkins was selected as the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Player of the Year for 2015 – 2016 after she and head coach James Frey helped lead the Lady Jets to the GCAA Division I regular season championship and a second place finish in the NJCAA Region 17 tournament. Only the top finisher in that tournament advances to the national championship tournament. The Lady Jets finished the season with a 27 – 6 overall record and a 14 – 2 performance in the GCAA.

Tompkins played in 32 of the Lady Jets 33 games during the 2015 – 2016 season and started in each of those games. She averaged 17.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game for the Lady Jets. She hit 60 percent of her shots and was a 74.8 percent free throw shooter. She averaged 7.1 defensive rebounds and 4.0 offensive rebounds each game. She also contributed 1.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.3 blocks in each outing.

The Lady Jets averaged 73 points per game during the 2015 – 2016 season and held their opponents to only 53.1 points. They also outrebounded their opponents 47.2 to 28.8.

South Georgia Technical College now has had 11 players (seven Lady Jets and four Jets) who have earned the distinction of being All-Americans. Tompkins, TaQuanda Mike and Shameekia “Polly” Murray were all selected as All-Americans under head coach James Frey.

Former SGTC Lady Jets head coach Brandon Harrell had four players nominated during his eight-years as head coach. Shontae McCall, a 6’ 1” sophomore guard from Lynn Haven, FL, was selected as a first team All American women’s Division I basketball player by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 2012. Ophelia McMath was recognized as a NJCAA first team All-American for her efforts during the Lady Jets 2010 – 2011 women’s basketball season. Her jersey also hung in the NJCAA Women’s Hall of Fame for one year. She was also a member of the 2009 – 2010 Lady Jets team that advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s National Tournament for the first time in the history of the program.

Deatric Smith and Alice Holmes were the other two Lady Jets who were recognized by the National Junior College Athletic Association as All-Americans. Deatric Smith led the Lady Jets to the National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament in Kansas in 2010 and to their best season ever at that time with a 29 – 7 overall record during the 2009 – 2010 season. She was named to the NJCAA All American Honorable Mention team in 2010.

Holmes was named to the NJCAA second team in 2008 after leading the Lady Jets to a 23 – 9 overall record and a second place finish in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association (GJCAA) regular season and GJCAA Tournament. Holmes continued her basketball career at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.

The four Jets players to earn the NJCAA All-American honors included: Anthony “Duke” Ethridge, Jae Crowder, “J.Q” Jonqueveilin Turpin and Wayne Williams.

Ethridge, a 6’ 5” sophomore guard/forward from Lakeland, Georgia, was named to the NJCAA Division I second-team All-American squad for the 2013 – 2014 season. He helped lead the Jets to their best record ever with a 29 – 5 overall record, the GCAA regular season title, the NJCAA District XVII tournament and their second trip to the NJCAA men’s national basketball tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. He played for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga this season and did an exceptional job.

Jae Crowder, a guard from Villa Rica, Georgia, played for the Jets as a freshman and earned the 2009 Georgia Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year honors. He also took the Jets to their first NJCAA Division I national tournament appearance in Hutchinson, Kansas and helped lead the Jets to an elite eight finish in that tournament.

Crowder transferred to Howard College in Texas as a sophomore and helped lead his new team to the NJCAA Division I Men’s National Basketball Tournament in 2010. He was named to the NJCAA All-American team as a sophomore. He is now playing in the NBA with the Boston Celtics.

The other two members of the Jets to earn NJCAA All American honors were “J.Q.” Jonqueveilin Turpin, a sophomore guard from Columbus, GA. J.Q. helped lead the Jets to an 18 – 12 record in 2007. Wayne Williams was the first Jet to ever receive the NJCAA All-American designation in 2005. He played at SGTC from 2003 – 2005 and led the Jets to their first GJCAA Championship title and runner-up in NJCAA District 10.

Lady Jets head coach James Frey was recognized earlier this season for capturing his 100th win as a head coach at South Georgia Technical College. He was also selected as the GCAA Coach of the Year for the 2015 – 2016 year for the second time in four years.

He came to South Georgia Tech as the head coach in 2012 – 2013 and was 20 – 12 that year. He came back in 2013 – 2014 and his team won the GCAA regular season conference title, the NJCAA Region XVII tournament and the District J title game to advance to the NJCAA National Tournament. The Lady Jets finished that season with the best record in the history of the Jets or Lady Jets basketball program at 30 – 5 and were among the top 16 teams in the nation. That season was the first time in the history of the basketball program that SGTC had sent both the men’s and the women’s teams to the national tournament in the same year.

The Lady Jets repeated the trip to the NJCAA national tournament in 2014 – 2015 and were among the Elite Eight teams in the nation.