Sweats, McGuire & Coach Jackson Jr. Honored With GCAC Accolades

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Rust College women's basketball program landed a pair of players and their leader on the All-GCAC postseason teams as Diamond Sweats made two separate teams and won an individual award, Niya McGuire earned an All-GCAC First Team selection, and Eric Jackson Jr. claimed another Coach of the Year plaque.

Sweats, a senior shooting guard and Texas A&M-Texarkana transfer from Dallas, Texas, was named the GCAC Newcomer of the Year, an All-GCAC Defensive Team selection, and was an All-GCAC First Teamer. She led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), finished fourth in the conference for total points (368), fifth in points per game (13.1), eighth in minutes played (798), and ninth regarding defensive rebounds (110) while leading Rust in both minutes (28.5) plus free throws made (1.9) a night.

McGuire, a senior power forward and former South Georgia Tech CC transfer from Monroe, Louisiana, ended the regular season with the GCAC's second-most field goals made per 40 minutes (8.8), third-best points per 40 minutes (20.4), and the fourth-highest field goal percentage (49.6%).

Jackson Jr., in his seventh season at the helm of his alma mater, became the program's all-time wins leader on February 15, 2024 with a 73-48 blowout at the Virgin Islands. He has guided the Lady Bearcats to four straight GCAC Regular Season Championships, its fourth NAIA Tournament berth in the past five years and is searching for its third GCAC Tournament title in-a-row. He has also led the Blue and White to its third consecutive campaign with 20-plus wins as they currently stand at 26-3 (89.7%) after the GCAC Quarterfinals victory while suffering just one blemish in league play (17-1, 94.4%).

The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Semifinals will take place on Saturday at either 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. versus the winner of the #5 Oakwood Ambassadors vs. #4 Dillard Bleu Devils matchup on Friday afternoon.

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