Panther Baketball Players Earn Postseason Accolades
By Florida Tech // March 9, 2014
ABOVE VIDEO: Corbin Jackson threw down a ferocious dunk on Dec. 7, 2013 against Lynn University. Jackson finished the game with 21 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks, one assist and one steal in the Panthers’ 103-81 Sunshine State Conference opening win.
Corbin Jackson Named Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Two members of the Florida Tech men’s basketball team earned Sunshine State Conference postseason accolades as Corbin Jackson was named the SSC’s Defensive Player of the Year and appeared on the league’s All-Newcomer Team, and Jermaine Jackson earned first team honors after a second team nod last season.
A transfer from Carson-Newman College, Corbin Jackson defended the paint at will this season, leading all conference players with 10.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocks.
His 17 double-doubles and two triple-doubles rank among the nation’s best, and he recorded three or more blocks in 14 games. Overall, the redshirt sophomore averaged 14.6 points on 53.8 percent shooting, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steal.
The Rockledge, Fla. native earned SSC Player of the Week honors three times this season. His 306 total rebounds and 87 total blocks rank third in NCAA Division II.
Corbin Jackson posted 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks in an overtime win over Assumption College on Nov. 15. The triple-double earned him his first career SSC Player of the Week nod.
A month later, he registered his second triple-double of the season, leading the Panthers with a 19 point, 15 rebound and 10 block performance against North Greenville University (Dec. 21). In his first career SSC conference game, “Jack” threw down an emphatic dunk that brought the near sold-out crowd at the Clemente Center to its feet.
The slam was featured on ESPN’s Sportscenter’s Top 10 Plays, earning the No. 4 spot on the 1 a.m. ET live edition on Dec. 8.
Jermaine Jackson is second in the SSC in scoring with 19.5 points per game.
The junior has scored 20 or more points in 14 games this season, including three 30-point performances. Against Nova Southeastern University on Jan. 22, the Louisville, Ky. native scored a career-high 38 points, 21 coming from three-point range, to lead the Panthers past the Sharks, 97-86.
The Panthers concluded their 2013-14 season 16-13 after a heartbreaking loss in last night’s SSC Quarterfinals matchup against Tampa, 64-58.
Kayk Wilson Named First Team All-SSC
The Florida Tech Panthers received an award from the Sunshine State Conference Friday morning when junior guard Kayk Wilson was named First Team All-SSC. It is the second consecutive season that Wilson has been named first team all-conference. The SSC awards are voted on by the league’s head women’s basketball coaches.
Wilson, a junior from Rockledge, Fla., led the SSC in scoring during the regular season at 20.1 points per game.
She also led the conference in three-point makes at 76, free-throws made at 181, and was second in steals per game at 2.6. During the regular season, Wilson scored at least 20 points in 15 games, and scored in double-figures in every game except for one. She also led the team in scoring for 22 out of the 28 regular season games.
A milestone was passed by Wilson this season when she eclipsed the 1,000 career-points mark. She enters Friday night’s game with 1,224 points in her Panther career. Against Barry Wednesday night, Wilson scored a game-high 28 points in the first round of the SSC Championships, as the Panthers advanced.
TYLER HARDY NAMED SSC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tyler Hardy of Barry was named the SSC Player of the Year. Tampa head coach Tom Jessee was named the SSC Coach of the Year. Teresa Manigrasso of Saint Leo, Sarah Taylor of Rollins, and Tampa’s Illyssa Vivo joined Wilson and Hardy on the First Team.
The Panthers return to action Friday night when they face Saint Leo in the quarterfinals of the SSC Basketball Championships. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET inside Silver Spurs Arena.
