title image via Jackson State Basketball
Courtesy Jackson State Athletics
After completing a perfect 18-0 conference season, the Jackson State women’s basketball team won big with Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) postseason awards. Head coach Tomekia Reed registered her fourth SWAC Coach of the Year honor (third consecutive) and Angel Jackson was named back-to-back SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. Ti’Ian Boler and Miya Crump finished on the All-SWAC First Team.
In her sixth season as head coach of the Jackson State women’s basketball program, Tomekia Reed has led her program to its fifth consecutive SWAC Regular Season Championship. As head coach of the Tigers, she has never had a losing record. The Tigers have recorded its third 20-win season. Reed opened the 2023-24 campaign winning her 100th game at Jackson State. This season, she has reached 103 wins against SWAC opponents. She has also notched a victory over a Big East opponent after defeating St. John’s 60-56 in San Juan, Puerto Rico early in the season. The Tigers are ranked top 100 in NCAA national rankings, again, sitting at No. 98. Under Reed, Angel Jackson has been nationally ranked in multiple categories. Jackson is now ranked 10th in the nation in blocked shots and 13th in blocks. Reed leads the No. 1 defense and No. 3 offense in the SWAC this season. Her team leads the SWAC in blocked shots, combined team defensive and offensive rebounds, and team field goal percentage. Reed has led JSU to 20-6 overall record and a current 18-0 SWAC recorded this season. For the first time in program history, Jackson State women’s basketball received a vote in the AP Top 25 poll under Reed’s tenure.
Angel Jackson continues to reign supreme as the SWAC’s best defensive player after another electric season with the Tigers. Jackson is nationally ranked (NCAA) at no. 10 in blocked shots and 13th in the nation in blocks. Jackson, the reigning Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, made 26 game appearances this season starting in every single one of those matchups. She leads the Tigers and the conference in blocked shots (No. 1) with 71 on the season. She is ranked ninth in the SWAC in rebounding and leads JSU averaging 6.6 a game. Jackson averages 9.5 points a game. She has scored a total of 247 points, 172 rebounds, and 71 blocks just this season as she nears the 1,000-career points milestone. Jackson has registered 12 double figure scoring games, five double figure rebounding games this season and four double-doubles.
Ti’Ian Boler has been a force in her fourth year with Jackson State as she’s appeared in 25 games for the Tigers this season. She leads the team in scoring with 333 points on the season. She posted a season high 20 points against Oregon State and Southern. She averages 11.04 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. Boler notched 16 double figure scoring games this season for JSU. Boler shot 37.5 percent from the field and 77.1 percent from the free throw line this season. Boler has a total of 276 points, 92 rebounds, 21 assists and 19 steals on the season.
Miya Crump has been electric in her return to the court after suffering an injury setback last season. Crump played in 26 games for JSU thus far and started in all 26. She registered 11 consecutive double figure scoring games for a total of 19 on the season, which included three double-doubles. Crump made a statement in her hometown against Texas Southern dropping 23 points and 10 rebounds in the matchup. She averaged 11.7 points this season and 6.1 rebounds. Crump shot 43.2 percent from the field and 69.6 percent from the free throw line. She has a total of 303 points, 159 rebounds, 41 steals, 34 assists and seven blocks on the season. Crump has also scored 1,319 career points.
The Tigers will open play in the 2024 Starry’s SWAC Basketball Tournament on March 13th. JSU will take on Prairie View A&M at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
