In their free time away from basketball, Masiah Gilyard and Anthony Isaac would discuss the goals they aimed to achieve during their basketball journeys.
One of those goals was accomplished Monday.
The two Bronx, New York, natives – Gilyard a sophomore guard and Isaac a freshman wing – have been named first-team All-Region XIV South and to the all-Region XIV team following their outstanding performances this season.
“It’s a great award to receive, and I’m truly blessed. To go to honorable mention last season to this award is a huge step forward for me and I owe it to my teammates for always putting me in the right spots to be successful,” Gilyard said. “Plus, to get to share this with Anthony is huge. We’re roommates, and we’ve had a lot of talks about what we expected of each other and ourselves to get to where we want to be.”
(Pictured: Blinn College sophomore guard Masiah Gilyard)
In his second year and final year as Buccaneer, Gilyard finished second on the team in offensive output with a 13.1 points per game. He was also second in rebounds (7.9) and assists (3.1). Gilyard registered 21 games with 10 or more points and nine contests with at least 10 rebounds while finishing with eight double-doubles.
Isaac emerged onto the scene in a big way this year, leading Blinn in both scoring (15.1) and rebounding (8.3). In 20 games between Dec. 6, 2023, and March 14, he scored no less than 10 points and posted 11 double-doubles.
“This award means a lot to me because it means that my worth ethic and my hunger for the game are being seen,” Isaac said. “Coming into the season, Masiah and I would have talks late at night after practice about what we could do to be better and improve on the court. I feel like we pushed each other, and we both had coach Schumacher pushing us and motivating us to be the best that we could be.”
Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said players who earn awards and recognition for their strong play are always elevated by the selfless work of the teammates around them.
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman wing Anthony Isaac)
“I’ve always believed that all-conference awards are team awards, but Anthony and Masiah obviously stood out for us this year,” Schumacher said. “They were tremendous team players, really good leaders, and they deserved to be recognized for their work this year. I could not be happier for them.”
Blinn sophomore forward Jamine Charles and sophomore guard Jadin Johnson were also recognized by Region XIV with All-Region XIV South honorable mention nods. Johnson finished with 9.7 points per game while Charles averaged 8.1. Johnson also averaged three assists per game and Charles pulled down an average of five boards.
The Bucs finished the season 23-8 overall and placed second in the Region XIV South while earning the fourth seed in the Region XIV Tournament.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
