MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Four ABAC basketball players have garnered postseason honors from the Southern States Athletic Conference.
 
Freshmen Matthew Mairena and T.J. Smith were selected to the conference's men's basketball All-Freshman Team while the Fillies' Reese Riddle made the list for women's basketball. Also, sophomore Shakiria Chaney made the SSAC All-Academic team. Additionally, the league chooses one representative from each squad as its Champion of Character winner. Smith was chosen from the Stallions while Chaney was the Fillies' selection.
 
The Fillies team also won the conference's Sportsmanship Award.
 
Mairena, a point guard from Miami, Fla., finished sixth in the SSAC in assists per game with 4.2. He was second on the Stallions' squad in scoring (11.5 points per game) and led the team in 3-pointers made with 31.
 
Smith, a guard from Columbus, finished 12^th in the conference in scoring at 14.6 points per game and was also the most accurate 3-point shooter in the league at 49.0. He led ABAC in scoring with 13.7 points per game and was second in rebounding (5.3).
 
Chaney, a sophomore who played at Tift County, enjoyed a spectacular year for the Fillies. She averaged 18.5 points per game, just two tenths of a point from leading the SSAC in scoring, and was also sixth in the conference in rebounding with 8.1 per game. Chaney also was also named to the Dean's List for ABAC's 2024 Fall semester.
 
Riddle, a freshman from Athens, averaged 10.8 points per game and led the Fillies in 3-point field goals with 23.
 
The SSAC Men's Player of the Year was Life University's Chaze Harris while Dalton State's Alex Ireland was named Men's Coach of the Year. Harris averaged 18.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and two steals per game.
 
The conference Women's Player of the Year went to Kolten Blakeney from William Carey University and her coach, Tracy English, was voted the Women's Coach of the Year. Blakeney, a senior, averaged 15 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
 
Joining Harris on the SSAC First Team All-Conference were Matt Compas, Dalton State; Ezra McKenna, Mobile; Dylan Brumfield, William Carey; Antonio Lewis, Dalton State; Jonathan Garcia, Faulkner; Cortez Johnson, Life; Millique Smith, Middle Georgia State; Zaiden Cross, UT Southern; and Cam Brown, William Carey.
 
Making the Second Team All-Conference were Qualen Pettus, Dalton State; Dre Burroughs, Brewton-Parker; Trent Moye, Mobile; Braelee Albert, Loyola; KJ Rogers, Faulkner; Tyreke Johnson, Life; Jason Hunt, Blue Mountain Christian; Jailin Lee, Thomas; Nick Cham, Middle Georgia State; and Vito Vujovic, UT Southern.
 
Joining Blakeney on the Women's First Team All-Conference were Shaneal Corpuz, William Carey; Ashley Dickey, UT Southern; Alissa O'Dell, Loyola; Alanna Donaldson, Mobile; Braylee McMath, Mobile; Ruthie Smith, Faulkner; Deniya Thornton, Loyola; Rose Warren, William Carey; and Daysha Reid, UT Southern.
 
Making the Second Team All-Conference were Destanee Wright, Brewton-Parker; Crystin Guy, Blue Mountain Christian; MacKenzie White, Mobile; Caitlin Travis, Loyola; Brionna Sims, Life; Silkiari Vazquez-Troche, UT Southern; Chasity Degale, Brewton-Parker; Zaria Johnson, Point; Charnita Brooks, Blue Mountain Christian; and Angel McRae, Brewton-Parker.