LSU Eunice’s Tahjea Smith headlines all-conference team as LCCAC player of year

EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice’s Tahjea Smith became the third straight Bengal to earn LCCAC Player of the Year honors as Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference (LCCAC) announced its All-Conference team this week. Smith was one of six Bengals to earn postseason accolades, the most among all schools.

Joining Smith on the All-LCCAC team were second-team members Trinity Harold, Vanessa Duhe and Josie Ogea. Rylee Jinks and Deja Tanks were named to the All-Defensive Team.

“Tahjea is the type of young woman any coach hopes to have – she’s an incredibly hard worker and is a proven winner,” LSU Eunice head coach Jaime Gonzales said. “I’m so glad than many of our contributors this season saw the fruits of their labor rewarded with an all-LCCAC award.”

Smith led LSUE in points and rebounds, averaging 13.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Those marks led the LCCAC in both categories. The Texas City, Texas native tallied eight double-doubles on the season, giving her 19 in her LSUE career. She leaves LSUE as the 5th leading rebounder in program history with 419 and 7th in blocks with 46.

Harold became LSUE’s primary perimeter threat as she ascended into a starting role this season. The Walker HS product finished second on the team with 11.0 points per game, going 32.7 percent from three-point range.

Duhe played a key role in created space for Smith in the paint. The freshman made 16 starts this season, averaging 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The Lacassine HS product started off LCCAC play red-hot, scoring double digit points in four of the Bengals’ first six games.

Ogea became a valuable part of LSUE’s LCCAC run as the freshman started catching fire in conference play. The former Bell City standout went 15-for-44 (34.0%) from long range in LCCAC play including making five during a season-high 21 point performance against Delgado on February 9.

Jinks was the floor general for LSU Eunice in her freshman season, leading the team in both steals (1.2 per/game) and assists (4.0 per/game). Tanks, meanwhile, was instant energy off the bench averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds.

LSU Eunice finished the season 15-11, coming in second place in the LCCAC regular season standings. The Bengals won a Region 23 Tournament game for the third straight season under Jaime Gonzales, bowing out to eventual champion Jones College.

2021-22 ALL-LCCAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
G ALANNA DONALDSON SOPH. BATON ROUGE CC NEW ORLEANS, LA
G ANGEL BRADFORD SOPH. BATON ROUGE CC BRUSLY, LA
G CHARNESHIA COLLINS FRESH. SU-SHREVEPORT SHREVEPORT, LA
G/F SKYLAR DAVIS SOPH. DELGADO CC NEW ORLEANS, LA
G/F KORRIANNA REYNAUD SOPH. DELGADO CC DESTREHAN, LA
F TAHJEA SMITH SOPH. LSU EUNICE TEXAS CITY, TEXAS

SECOND TEAM
G JOSIE OGEA FRESH. LSU EUNICE BIG LAKE, LA
G TRINITY HAROLD SOPH. LSU EUNICE WALKER, LA
F VANESSA DUHE FRESH. LSU EUNICE LACASSINE, LA
F TRONAYIA ISSAC R-SO. BATON ROUGE CC LAFAYETTE, LA

ALL-DEFENSE
G RYLEE JINKS FRESH. LSU EUNICE GRANT, LA
G ALANNA DONALDSON SOPH. BATON ROUGE CC NEW ORLEANS, LA
G AN’TIESHA GRIFFIN R-SO. BATON ROUGE CC ALEXANDRIA, LA
G/F SKYLAR DAVIS SOPH. DELGADO NEW ORLEANS, LA
F DEJA TANKS FRESH. LSU EUNICE LAKE CHARLES, LA

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TAHJEA SMITH, LSU EUNICE
COACH OF THE YEAR: PAULA LEE, BATON ROUGE CC