NICEVILLE, Fla. (March 4, 2022) – The Florida College System Activities Association announced its All-State/NJCAA All-Region 8 women's basketball team on Thursday evening.
Headlining the 12-member team is FCSAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year, Last-Tear Poa of Northwest Florida State College.
Poa, a second-year freshman guard from Melbourne, Australia, led the defending national champions to the Panhandle Conference Championship and the No. 1 ranking in Region 8.
The FCSAA Player of the Year is voted on by members of the FCSAA Women's Basketball Committee.
Poa averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists en route to being named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year. She shot 43.3 percent from the field and 89.6 percent from the free throw line. Playing in the rugged Panhandle Conference, she led the Raiders to a 24-2 regular season record. Poa captured Region 8 Player of the Week honors once during the 2021-22 season.
Other members of the FCSAA All-State/NJCAA All-Region 8 team are:
Aleisha Curry, Santa Fe
Sophomore | Center | Lehigh Acres, Fla.
One of only two players in Region 8 who averaged a double-double...scored 13.8 points per game and grabbed 10.2 rebounds, second-best in the region...also shot 52.9 percent from the field, fifth-best in the region...author of 12 double-doubles....had 35 points and 19 rebounds in season-opener vs. Hillsborough en route to the first of three Region 8 Player of the Week and first of two NJCAA Player of the Week awards.
Maryanne Logsdon, Indian River State
Sophomore | Guard | Fort Pierce, Fla.
The top three-point shooter in Region 8, she knocked down 86 shots from long distance...her three-point percentage of 38.2 ranked sixth...fourth-leading scorer in the region at 16.9 points per game and number two in assists (4.6 apg) ...efficient shooter, knocking down 173 field goals, which was second-best in the region...knocked down 7-of-9 three-pointers in a 26-point effort vs. Tallahassee.
Jordan McLaughlin, Chipola
Sophomore | Guard | Charlotte, N.C.
The region's sixth-leading scorer at 15.5 points per game and region leader in assists at 5.5 per game...also averaged 4.2 rebounds...her assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3) was also tops in the region...shot 51.0 percent from the field, which was No. 7 in the region, and 70.6 percent from the line...grabbed a Region 8 Player of the Week award during the season following a season-high 37 points against nationally-ranked Seward County.
Jayla Murray, Florida SouthWestern
Freshman | Forward | St. Louis, Mo.
The Southern Conference Player of the Year...led the Bucs averaging 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game...scored in double-figures on 20 occasions this season, topping the 20-point mark six times including a pair of 26-point performances, both against Hillsborough...notched seven double-doubles with her best game coming against Indian River in a 23-point, 15-rebound effort...was a Region 8 Player of the Week on one occasion.
Rapuluchi Ngorka, Eastern Florida State
Freshman | Forward | Madrid, Spain
The Central Conference Player of the Year...leading rebounder in Region 8 – offensively (165), defensively (204), total (369) and per game (13.2)...set an Eastern Florida school record for rebounds in a season...her defensive presence extended to the blocks category where she finished third in the region with 41...averaged 13.8 points and was one of just two players in Region 8 who averaged a double-double...had eight games of 20+ rebounds...a three-time Region 8 Player of the Week and two-time NJCAA Player of the Week.
Macarena Retamales, Florida SouthWestern
Freshman | Guard | Santiago, Chile
The ultimate stat sheet stuffer for the Bucs, averaging 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game...started all 26 games during the regular season, scoring in double-figures 19 times, topping the 15-point mark nine times including the final four leading up to the State Tournament...shot at a high clip at all three levels, hitting on 48% from the field, 37% from the three-point line, and 78% from the line.
Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu, Gulf Coast State
Sophomore | Guard | Atlanta, Ga.
Leading scorer in Region 8 at 20.2 points per game...was the only player in Region 8 to also finish in the top ten in total rebounds (223, 6th) and assists (93, 5th)...her 59 steals ranked sixth in the region...took home a pair of Region 8 Player of the Week honors and was NJCAA Player of the Week the week of December 6-12...shot 41.4 percent from the field and 78.2 percent from the line...led Region 8 in field goals (197) and free throws (165)...was held to single-digit scoring just once in 29 games...her best outing came against Wallace-Hanceville when she scored 35 points..
Kaitlyn Sanders, Eastern Florida State
Freshman | Guard | Miami, Fla.
Averaged 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists...shot 40.1 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three and 86.8 percent from the free throw line...her 92 assists was seventh-best in the region while her average of 3.3 per game ranked tenth...finished the season strong, scoring in double-figures in six of the last seven regular season games...sank seven threes and scored a season-high 27 points vs. Daytona State.
Shadaria Smith, Eastern Florida State
Freshman | Guard | Orlando, Fla.
Averaged 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists...shot 44.8 percent from the field and 67.6 percent from the free throw line...drained 59 threes, seventh-best in the region...had consecutive 20+-point games on two different occasions, including 27 vs. Santa Fe and 24 vs. Daytona State during Central Conference play.
Jazmine Spencer, Hillsborough
Freshman | Guard | Winter Haven, Fla.
Region 8's second-leading scorer at 18.9 points per game...she also averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 assists while shooting 40.1 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and 73.7 percent from the free throw line...she was even better in Southern Conference play, averaging 19.7 points...scored 30+ on five occasions, including a pair of 34-point games.
Ta'Shonna Wright-Gaskins, Chipola
Sophomore | Guard | Reading, Pa.
Averaged 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds...shot 54.4 percent from the field, which ranked fourth in Region 8, and 71.6 percent from the line...her 85 total steals ranked No. 2 in the region...opened the season with 34 points vs. Denmark Tech...had a stretch of nine double-digit rebound games and eight double-doubles in 11 games during non-conference play, which included games against nationally-ranked Jones and Georgia Highlands.