POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Three players have received All-Citrus Conference honors following a season in which Polk State Basketball increased its win total.
Guard Dominick Nelson was selected to the first team following a monster season. Nelson averaged 20.1 points per game this season. That was good for fourth in the FCSAA and the highest average for a Polk State player in seven years.
Nelson scored in double figures in 27 of the 28 games he played this season, including a career-high 33 points in a loss against Indian River State College on Feb. 28. Nelson shot 45% from the field and 74% from the free-throw line.
Nelson also ranked second on the team and in the top 15 in the state, averaging 1.7 steals per contest.
Guards Ty Owens and Malachi Stevens each earned honorable mention honors. The two freshmen were among Polk State’s leaders in several categories. Both played in all 30 games for the Eagles during the 2023-24 season.
Owens averaged 8.6 points per game to go with a team-high 4.1 assists per contest. Owens was also the top free-throw shooter for the Eagles this season, shooting 87% from the line – good for third in the FCSAA.
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Stevens finished third on the team, averaging 10.4 points per game. As a freshman, he scored in double figures 17 times, which included a career-high 27-point effort in a loss to Daytona State College on Jan. 23. With 30 made 3-pointers this season, the 6-foot-5 wing player ranked second on the team.
Polk State finished 12-18 this past season and eighth in Citrus Conference play.
“I’m proud of these young men for their hard work and dedication to our program,” Head Coach Brandon Giles said. “To earn recognition in what’s perhaps the toughest junior college conference in America is no small feat and really speaks to their skill and character.”
All-Citrus Conference First Team
Dominick Nelson, G, sophomore, Miami, Fla.
Honorable Mention
Ty Owens, G, freshman, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Malachi Stevens, G/F, freshman, Charleston, S.C.
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