The Tribune

NATIONAL team standout Valerie Nesbitt was awarded with a postseason accolade following her first season of collegiate basketball for Chipola College.

Nesbitt was named a Panhandle Conference first team selection as a freshman in the NJCAA ranks.

The 5’6” point guard averaged 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 46 per cent from the floor in 26 contests. She also totalled a team leading 50 steals on the season.

She finished with 18 points and five assists as the Lady Indians finished their season with a 69-65 loss to No.2 Gulf Cast State.

Chipola finished the season 14-13.

It was her second 18-point performance of the year following a 96-48 win Over Arkansas Baptist in December.

She set a season high with 19 points in just her second game of the season - a 72-69 loss to Florida Southwestern.

She dished a season high eight assists in an 87-51 win over Hillsborough Community College in November.

Last summer, Nesbitt made her senior national team debut at the FIBA Women’s Centrobasket 2017 in St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.

The Bahamas opened the tournament with a closely contested hard-fought loss to Mexico and went on to also drop decisions against Jamaica, the USVI and Puerto Rico before they won the finale against Guatemala.