SGTC’s Malik Battle and Fanta Gassama both named GCAA Players of Week

February 21, 2022

SGTC’s Malik Battle, 1, and Fanta Gassama, 23, were named GCAA Players of the Week.

South Georgia Technical College Jets sophomore guard Malik Battle from Douglasville, GA, and freshman center Fanta Gassama of Mataro, Spain, were both selected as the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Division I men’s and women’s basketball players of the week for February 21, 2022.

This is the second week in a row that South Georgia Technical College men’s and women’s basketball players have been singled out for the GCAA Basketball Players of the Week. Last week, Marvin McGhee, III, and Kamya Hollingshed were selected for this honor. It was the second time for both of them.

This is the first time this season that Malik Battle has been honored and the third time that Fanta Gassama has earned the accolades. Gassama was first honored on December 13^th and then again for the week of January 31^st. This is 11^th time this season individual Jets and Lady Jets have been selected as the GCAA Players of the Week.

Malik Battle was selected as the GCAA Division I men’s player of the week after averaging 25 points, one rebound, 3.5 assists and one steal in two big wins for the Jets last week. Gassama was selected as the women’s player of the week after she scored 22 points, 16 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in a win this week. The Lady Jets are currently ranked 9^th in the National Junior College Athletic Association this season and the Jets received votes to be included in the national rankings.

In addition to Gassama and sophomore Kamya Hollingshed, Alexia Dizeko, the freshman shooting forward from Switzerland has been highlighted twice. She was selected January 17^th and January 3^rd.

For the Jets other players earning the honor are: Marvin McGhee, III, who has been spotlighted twice, and Will Johnston, a 6’ 3” point guard from Sydney, Australia who was nominated as a co-player of the week January 24^th.

The Lady Jets finished the regular season in second place in the GCAA behind Georgia Highlands. Georgia Highlands is currently undefeated in the conference and South Georgia Tech is 12 – 3. Georgia Highlands handed South Georgia Tech all three of their conference losses this season. The Jets are also in second place in the GCAA behind Georgia Highlands. They are one game behind Georgia Highlands and both teams have two games remaining in the regular season.

The Jets host Andrew College on Wednesday February 23rd at 7 p.m. and then travel to East Georgia State College on Saturday, Feb. 26^th at 3 p.m.

The Lady Jets will face the winner of the Albany Tech – Andrew College game in the semi-final round of the 2022 GCAA Women’s basketball tournament in Rome, GA, on Saturday, February 25^th. The winner of that game will advance to the final round on Saturday, February 26^th at 2 p.m. They will play the winner of the Georgia Highlands vs. the winner of the East Georgia State and Central Georgia Tech games.