SGTC Jets face South Georgia State in NJCAA Tournament semi-finals at Georgia Highlands in Rome
The South Georgia Technical College Jets will face the South Georgia State College Hawks in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XVII semi-finals at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 4th in Rome, GA in the Georgia Highlands College gymnasium.
South Georgia Tech and South Georgia State met in the NJCAA Region XVII semi-finals last season in Waycross. The Hawks won 73 – 67 and advanced to the finals where they defeated East Georgia State College 75 – 69 for the right to compete in the NJCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. Coach Ballauer and the Jets are hoping for a different outcome this season.
The two teams have met twice this season and split decisions. South Georgia Tech won in Americus 86 – 85 in January and the Hawks won 73 – 71 in February in Waycross. “This should be a good game,” said South Georgia Technical College Jets head coach Chris Ballauer. “We have played twice and either game could have gone either way.”
The Jets are now 20 – 11 on the season and ranked second in the GCAA regular season standings. South Georgia State College finished in third place with an identical conference record (11 – 5). The Hawks are 23 – 8 overall. SGTC was able to secure the second-place spot based on their two wins against Georgia Highlands, which was the only higher ranked team. Georgia Highlands is 12 – 4 in the conference and 20 – 11 on the season.
Top-ranked Georgia Highlands will match-up against Albany Tech in the other semi-final game at Georgia Highlands in Rome. Game time will be 8 p.m. The winners of the semi-final rounds will advance to the finals on Saturday, March 5th at 3 p.m. at Georgia Highlands gym in Rome. The winner of the tournament will earn the right to advance to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, March 14 – 19.