VALDOSTA – Valdosta State senior men’s basketball guard Jacolbey Owens and sophomore women’s basketball guard Taylor Searcey both were named Second Team All-Gulf South Conference, the league office announced Tuesday.

Owens, a native of Warner Robins, Ga., has had an explosive 2022-23 season for the Blazers averaging 15.1 points per game for 12th in the conference, as well as 6.3 assists per game for second in the conference and 12th nationally. He is also fifth in the GSC in steals per game with 1.7 a clip. He recorded four double-doubles during the season.

Over the course of the 2022-23 season, Owens has scored a total of 454 points in 1,012 minutes, shooting 150 of 340 (44.1%) from the field, 31 of 100 (31%) from beyond the arc and 123 of 193 (63.7%) from the free throw line. He pulled down a total of 103 rebounds and recorded 188 assists while also tacking on 50 steals and seven blocks.

Owens reached the 1,000-point mark as a Blazer on Jan. 21, in a 93-44 victory over Delta State at The Complex, joining teammate, redshirt senior Cam Hamilton as the second Blazer this season to reach the 1,000-point mark. Owens was recently crowned with the school-record for assists in a season, passing Herman Burge’s mark of 183 in 2006-07 at Alabama Huntsville on Feb. 25. Owens has 188 assists for the season.

He had a season-high 23 points at Union on Feb. 4, where his overtime heroics led the Blazers to a 103-102 victory. He posted a season-high 11 assists on Jan. 2 in the 110-103 win at Montevallo and a season-high five steals against Union on Dec. 11. Owens earned Steel’s Jewelry Athlete of the Week honors four times over the course of the season.

For his outstanding career, Owens has played in 78 games with 68 starts and has gone 386 of 838 from the field (.461), while going 89 of 244 from distance (.365) and 254 of 411 from the line (.618). Owens has averaged 3.3 rebounds per game and recorded 367 assists, 19 blocks and 130 steals, while scoring 1,115 points for a 14.3 points per game average.

Alabama Huntsville’s Chaney Johnson, West Alabama’s Shadarrion Allen, West Georgia’s Michael Zabetakis, Lee’s Jayce Willingham and Union’s Tylandrius Parks earned first team all-conference honors, while Owens, along with Braxton Bertolette (Montevallo), PJay Smith (Lee), Maalik Cartwright (Delta State) and Galen Smith (Mississippi College) were second team selections. Johnson was named GSC Player of the Year, while Tyler Moore of Montevallo was named Freshman of the Year and Nick Woodruff of West Alabama earned Coach of the Year honors.

The Blazers travel to West Georgia for GSC “Super Tuesday” game in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the men’s basketball schedule page. The game also will be broadcast on the radio in Valdosta and online on 94.3 WJEM FM and foxsportsvaldosta.com with Spencer Van Horn having the call.

Searcey, a native of Lincoln, Neb., has played in 23 games this season with 22 starts. She averages 12.4 points per game on 91 of 200 from the field (.455), while going 93 of 111 from the line (.838). Searcey has pulled down 162 rebounds, including 60 on the offensive end for a 7.0 rebounds per game average, along with 65 assists and 56 steals and scored 286 points for the season. She has had five double-doubles this season and been named Steel’s Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week twice this season. She also was named GSC Player of the Week once this season.

She has played in 61 games with 22 starts for her career and has scored 491 points, while going 166 of 359 from the field (.462) and 146 of 191 from the line (.764). She has pulled down 284 rebounds and 103 on the offensive end for a 4.7 average for total rebounds per game.

West Florida’s Jaclyn Jarnot earned first team honors and was named GSC Player of the Year, while Lee’s Haley Schubert earned first team honors, along with Union’s Shanique Lucas, West Alabama’s Bria Dent and West Florida’s Zoe Piller. Along with Searcey, Montevallo’s Marisa Snodgrass, Lee’s Mallory Hampton, Delta State’s Camryn Davis and Union’s Samariah Thompson were second team selections. West Georgia freshman Aliyah Washington was named Freshman of the Year, while Lee’s Marty Rowe was named Coach of the Year.

The Lady Blazers host Montevallo in a GSC “Super Tuesday” game at The Complex for the first round of the GSC Tournament at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for the game. Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the women’s basketball schedule page. The game also will be broadcast on the radio in Valdosta and online on 92.1 WDDQ FM and talk921.com with Mike Chason having the call.