Broadnax Credit: Savannah State Athletics

Savannah State Head Men’s Basketball Coach Horace Broadnax has been named the 2022-2023 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Coach Of The Year, according to a press release Saturday morning from the conference.

Senior forward Eleik Bowles was named to the All-SIAC First Team in the post-conference awards.

The awards were publicized prior to the start of the 2023 TIAA SIAC Championship Tournament Presented by Cricket and hosted by Savannah State in Tiger Arena. The awards are voted on by the head coaches and sports information directors in the conference.

Eleik Bowles Credit: Savannah State Athletics

Coming off a conference championship last season, Coach Broadnax led his Tigers to a second-place finish in the SIAC East Division this season—after losing three of his top scorers from last year’s championship team. The Tigers finished 14-7 in conference in Coach Broadnax’s 18th year at Savannah State.

In his senior season at Savannah State, Bowles led the Tigers from nearly every point on the court. He leads the Tigers in scoring, rebounding, field goals, three-point field goals, steals, and minutes. Currently, he is averaging 16.6 points a game, with 4.7 rebounds a game. He scored a career-high 40 points against Flagler on Dec. 1, 2022.

On the women’s side, Savannah State’s Nyla Allen and Amari Heard were named to the 2023 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) All-Conference Team, the conference announced Sunday morning in a press release.

Nyla Allen Credit: Savannah State Athletics

The awards were publicized prior to the start of day two of the 2023 TIAA SIAC Championship Tournament Presented by Cricket and hosted by Savannah State in Tiger Arena. The awards are voted on by the head coaches and sports information directors in the conference.

Allen was named to the All-SIAC First Team after an incredible third season at Savannah State.

Allen stepped into the point guard position and delivered. She leads the team in scoring with 14.2 points a game, in assists (3.8 p/g), total assists (72), and free throw percentage (82%), with a total of 109 free throws made. She’s the No. 2 best free-throw shooter in the conference—on a team that leads the SIAC and NCAA Division II in free-throws made per game (19.45).

Amari Heard Credit: Savannah State Athletics

Heard was named to the All-SIAC Second Team in her senior season. Heard is an all-around star on the floor, leading the team with 292 total points, averaging 13.3 points a game. Heard is second on the team in rebounding with 7.1 boards an outing, racking up 100 defensive rebounds this season. She also has 43 steals, averaging at least 2.0 games.

The 2023 TIAA SAC Championship tipped-off in Tiger Arena Saturday at 12 p.m. The Tigers received a double-round bye as the second seed. They are slated to start the tournament, Thursday, March 2 at 5 p.m.

This article appears in Connect Savannah | February, 2023.