EMCC’s Jakorie Smith and Ja’Mia Hollings earn repeat all-region hoops honors

SCOOBA — East Mississippi Community College's Jakorie Smith and Ja'Mia Hollings have earned NJCAA All-Region 23 basketball honors for the second straight season, as voted on by the head basketball coaches from the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) and the Louisiana Community Colleges Athletic Conference (LCCAC).

Smith led the EMCC Lions in scoring (13.3 ppg) for the second straight year and added 7.7 boards per game as the team's second-leading rebounder this past season.  The Utica native also connected on 48 percent of his field goals and 77 percent of his free throws as a repeat all-region and first-team all-conference standout for the 11-6 Lions.

As a two-year starter for Coach Billy Begley's EMCC Lions, Smith has averaged 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for his college career, while also having shot 49 percent from the field and 75 percent from the charity stripe.  Smith previously averaged a team-leading 15.2 points and club-best 8.4 rebounds per game during his freshman season as a two-time MACCC Player of the Week selection for the 2019-20 Lions. 

During his prep playing days at Raymond High School, Smith was a member of three MHSAA Class 4A state championship teams.

For the EMCC women, Hollings averaged a double-double again this past season to repeat as an all-region and first-team all-conference performer.  Along with averaging a team-leading 14.8 points (5^th in MACCC) and conference-best 10.1 rebounds an outing, the West Point product connected on a league-high 59 percent from the field (9^th in NJCAA) and 73 percent from the charity stripe for the 12-5 Lady Lions.

With 22 career double-doubles to her credit, Hollings has averaged 14.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest, while having shot 60 percent from the field and 72 percent from the line, as a two-year starter who helped lead Coach Sharon Thompson's Lady Lions to a two-year composite record of 36-8.  As a freshman for EMCC's 24-3 conference championship club, Hollings averaged 14.0 points and 10.2 boards per game, while connecting on 61 percent of her field goals and 71 percent of her free throws during the 2019-20 season.  She also earned MACCC Player of the Week honors four times during her EMCC career.

The 10-player 2021 NJCAA All-Region 23 men's basketball team also includes: Jordan Johnson (Hinds); Kaleb Higgins (Holmes); JaRonn Wilkens (Pearl River); Jonathan Cisse (LSU Eunice); Brandon Weatherspoon (Holmes); Melvion Flanagan (Mississippi Gulf Coast); Brandon Brown (Itawamba); DeAntoni Gordon (Northwest Mississippi); and Kylan Blackmon (Northeast Mississippi).

The 10-player 2021 NJCAA All-Region 23 women's basketball team also includes: Daisha Bradford (Jones); Jurnee McLaurin (Coahoma); Jakayla Johnson (Jones); Mikayla Etienne (Southwest Mississippi); Alona Washington (LSU Eunice); Sidney Simms (Meridian); Shylia McGee (Southwest Mississippi); Aniya Sanders (Copiah-Lincoln); and Gabrielle Bunch (Holmes).