South Georgia Tech’s Esther Adenike named to NJCAA National All-Tournament Team

LUBBOCK, TEXAS – South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets sophomore forward Esther Adenike from Lagos, Nigeria, was selected to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) women’s Division I All-Tournament team for her performance on the court at the NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Tournament in Lubbock, Texas recently. She led the South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets a 29 – 6 overall record and helped them finish as one of the top 16-teams in the NJCAA.
“I am so proud of Esther “Nike” Adenike,” said South Georgia Technical College Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach James Frey. “This is the first time we have had a female athlete to be selected to the national All-Tournament team. Only the top 12 players in the National Tournament make this list so to have her included is huge!”
Earlier this season “Nike” was selected as an All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WCBA) for 2018. She was also selected as the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Player of the Year for 2017 – 2018. She helped lead the Lady Jets to a 29 – 6 overall record, their third consecutive GCAA regular season title with a 17 – 1 conference record, their second consecutive NJCAA Region XVII tournament title, the second NJCAA Division J Championship and their fourth appearance in the national tournament in five years. She was also selected as the GCAA Player of the Week four times this season.
The 6’ 2” forward averaged 13.6 points per game for the Lady Jets during the regular season and has earned national recognition in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) standings for rebounding, blocked shots, and field goal percentage shooting. She was the third best Division I rebounder in the NJCAA with a total of 318 during the regular season. Adenike started all 35 games for the Lady Jets this season.
“Our goal all season long was to get back to the NJCAA National Tournament and finish better than we did last season,” said Coach Frey. “We accomplished our goal to go back to the national tournament and we did finish as one of the top 16 teams in the nation. We had hoped to make it to the Elite Eight, but there is always next year.”
At the national tournament, “Nike” and the Lady Jets defeated the 10th seeded Casper College Thunderbirds, 77 – 65 in overtime in the opening round. The Lady Jets overcame a 10-point half-time deficit to tie the game at 60 – 60 at the end of the regulation play. The Lady Jets came back and outscored the Thunderbirds 17 – 5 in overtime to advance to the Sweet Sixteen round. “Nike” scored 15 points and had 11 rounds in that match-up in the national tournament.
The Lady Jets faced seventh ranked Seward College in the next round and dropped a hard fought 88 – 81 decision. Nike was one of the leading scorers with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The other members of the NJCAA Women’s Division I All-Tournament team included: Cierra Johnson of Shelton State as the MVP, Trinity Baptist of Northwest Florida State; Nakiah Black of Tallahassee; Shayla Bennett of Gulf Coast State; Alexes Bryant of New Mexico; Jhieiya Dunlap of Gulf Coast State; Georgia Gayle of Northwest Florida State, Japnica James and Jamyra McChristine Tallahassee; Arleighshy McElroy of Trinity Valley and Maggie Robinson of Shelton State. Franqua Bedell of Tallahassee was the Coach of the Tournament and Coach Kayla Weaver of San Jacinto-North Texas was the Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship Award winner.
Tallahassee won the NJCAA National Tournament by defeating Trinity Valley. Shelton State finished in third place over Gulf Coast. South Georgia Tech’s Esther “Nike” Adenike, Trinity Baptiste and Georgia Gayle of Northwest Florida State and Alexes Bryant of New Mexico were the only players from team’s not in the Final Four to be included on the All-Tournament Team.