Five PBC Men’s Basketball Players Named Daktronics All-Region

MORROW, GA – Five Peach Belt Conference men’s basketball players were named to the Daktronics All-Southeast region team on Wednesday.  Three of those players were named to the first team, including Lander’s Dwight Tolbert who was tabbed the region’s Player of the Year.  Also named first team were Montevallo’s D.J. Rivera and Ryan Aquino of Georgia College.  Liki Turner of Francis Marion and Sterling Council of USC Aiken were named second team.

Tolbert was key in Lander's turnaround season in which the Bearcats recorded their first winning record since the 2006-07 season at 18-9. Tolbert was selected Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, leading the conference in scoring at 21.8 points a game and ranking third in 3-point percentage (.427). He had 18 games in which he scored 20 or more points, including six games of 30 or more points.  A senior from Tifton, Ga., he also averaged 6.8 rebounds per game and was ranked in the PBC top 10 in blocks and steals.

D.J. Rivera was named PBC first-team All-Conference and to the All-Tournament team after helping lead the Falcons to their first PBC Tournament championship, the top seed in the Southeast Region and host of the upcoming NCAA Regional Tournament.  The senior from Philadelphia, Pa., is currently second in the PBC in scoring with 21.7 points per game and leads the league in steals.  He scored 20 or more points 19 times during the year and went over 30 twice.

Ryan Aquino is the only player in the league to average a double-double for the season.  He led the conference with 10.6 rebounds per game and was fifth in scoring at 17.6 ppg.  A native of Roswell, Ga., Aquino has made the most of his senior season, posting a mind-blowing 16 double-doubles and eight 20-plus scoring contests.  Aquino is currently ranked seventh in all of Division II in rebounds per game and fifth with 16 double-doubles.

Turner, a 6-5 native of Richmond, Va., led the Patriots in scoring and rebounding with averages of 18.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.  He connected on 43.9 percent of his field goal attempts and 77.1 percent of his free throws, while setting FMU season records for free throws made (158) and attempted (205).  He averaged 30.9 minutes per game and registered 48 assists, 13 blocked shots, and 28 steals. He ranks 24th nationally with 10 double-doubles and is 37th in rebounding.  He scored in double figures 25 of 27 games, including thirteen 20-point games.

A native of Camden, S.C., Council is leading the Pacers in his senior season with 11.8 points per game.  The honor is the second postseason accolade for Council, who was also dubbed a Peach Belt Conference All-Conference First-Team choice. The senior guard is also averaging 2.8 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game entering the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. Council is currently leading the Peach Belt Conference and is eighth in the country with a 90.1 free throw shooting percentage. Council hit 92.2 percent of his free throws during Peach Belt Conference play this season. Earlier this season, he set the Peach Belt Conference record for consecutive free throws made with 51.