Albany State’s Paxton, Morgan earn SIAC honors

Albany State’s surge up the SIAC standings is starting to draw conference-wide attention — and on Tuesday, the Lady Golden Rams received two of the league’s top individual honors to prove it.

The SIAC named Albany State senior Na’Haviya Paxton as its Player of the Week and junior guard Jada Morgan as its Newcomer of the Week after the Lady Golden Rams rolled through a perfect week with wins over Lane, Kentucky State and Central State.

The awards came on the heels of Albany State’s 72-52 victory over Central State on Saturday, a win that extended the Lady Golden Rams’ streak to seven straight — the program’s longest winning run since the 2010–11 season.

Albany State has now improved to 9-3 overall and 8-3 in SIAC play under interim head coach Todd Triplett and continues to climb steadily in the conference race.

Paxton, a senior small forward from Lake City, Florida, was the engine that kept the Lady Golden Rams rolling all week. She consistently filled the stat sheet, providing scoring, rebounding and defense while logging heavy minutes in all three wins. Paxton’s ability to attack the basket, draw fouls and push the tempo in transition set the tone for Albany State, and her toughness and versatility made her one of the most impactful players in the conference during the week.

Morgan, a junior guard from Macon, was equally dominant in earning Newcomer of the Week honors. She led Albany State with steady scoring and leadership throughout the week, attacking the rim aggressively and delivering in key moments. Morgan’s ability to score at all three levels while also contributing on the defensive end helped separate the Lady Golden Rams from their opponents — and her emergence has been a major reason the program has reached its longest winning streak in nearly 15 years.

The momentum was on full display Saturday against Central State.

Sariah Johnson turned in one of her best performances of the season, scoring a game-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting while pulling down nine rebounds. Her physical presence inside helped Albany State dominate the paint, where the Lady Golden Rams owned a commanding 48-22 advantage.

Morgan continued her strong play with 19 points, six steals and three assists, relentlessly attacking the basket and pressuring Central State’s guards. Paxton added 15 points and five rebounds, while Paris Triplett provided efficient production off the bench with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and six rebounds.

With the conference recognizing two of its own and the standings starting to shift, Albany State appears to be finding its stride at exactly the right time.

The Lady Golden Rams will be back home Saturday, hosting Spring Hill College at 2 p.m. at the Jones Brothers HPER Gymnasium on East Campus, looking to keep their streak — and their climb — alive.