Charger News
SEASON RECAP Charger Basketball 2020-2021 season recap
by Jason Hitzman Professor of Kinesiology & Wellness Sports Information Director
The 2020-21 basketball season was unlike any we’ve seen before. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and precautions, both men’s and women’s basketball teams played shortened seasons that did not begin until late January. The teams had to play about 20 games in just two-and-a-half months. In addition to all this, both teams experienced periods of quarantine and the loss of players to injury and illness. In spite of this madness, both teams experienced great success on-the-court this season. The Lady Chargers had one of their best seasons in the program. They won the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) regular season title with a 14-1 conference record and a 21-4 record overall. The team finished second in the GCAA tournament and received an at-large bid to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament. After a win in the first round against the Southern Idaho Golden Eagles, the Lady Chargers fell to the fifth-ranked South Plains College’s Lady Texans. All four of the team’s losses were against nationallyranked teams, two of which came in overtime. Coach Brandan Harrell was named GCAA Coach of the Year. The women were led by outstanding freshman Jashanti Simmons, who was named GCAA Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, while also earning First Team All-American status. She finished second in the GCAA in scoring at 18.4 points per game (ppg). She led the league in total points and steals, ranked second in free throw (FT) percentage, and fourth in field goal (FG) percentage. Simmons received GCAA Player-of-the-Week honors for three of the seven
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weeks this season and earned an NJCAA National Player-of-the-Week honor – a first for a GHC basketball player. In addition to Simmons, sophomore Sandra Lin led the conference in total assists and is fourth in steals. Sophomore Sasha Shiskina is second in total three-point FGs and fourth in three-point FG percentage and sophomore O’Mariyah Tucker ranks fourth in total rebounds. Shiskina and Tucker also both earned GCAA Player-of-the-Week honors during the season. Simmons, Shiskina, Tucker and freshman Jada Alston all earned GCAA post-season honors for their play during the regular season and GCAA tournament. The Charger men also put together a superb season. The team won the GCAA regular season title with an 14-2 conference record and 16-3 record overall before falling in the GCAA tournament to end their season. Following the season, Head Coach JJ Merritt was named GCAA Coach of the Year. During the season, sophomore Chris Wright earned GCAA Player-ofthe-Week honors and was named Honorable Mention All-American at the end of the season. Redshirt sophomore Cahiem Brown also earned GCAA Player of the Week honors during the season. The team had great scoring balance over the season with four players averaging in double-figures and three more who averaged over 8 points per game (ppg). GHC was led by Brown at 14.7ppg, sophomore Keandre Bowles at 13.5ppg and Wright at 12.1ppg. Wright also led the league in in three-point FG percentage at 46.2%. University of Washington commit Langston Wilson leads the team in rebounds (7.7 per game) and blocks (1.9 per game) and finished second in the GCAA in FG percentage (58.3%) and third in total blocks (36). Wright, Bowles, Wilson, Brown and freshman Joel Pullen all earned GCAA postseason honors for their play during the regular season and GCAA tournament.
