AIKEN, S.C. – Former Northwest guard and first team All-MACJC selection Jakobi Pearson will continue his athletic and academic career at The University of South Carolina Aiken, the school announced in a press release earlier this month.

Pearson, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound point guard out of Duncanville, Texas, averaged 19.1 points per game with 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for the season, while helping Northwest to a 16-10 overall record, the No. 3 seed in the MACJC North Division and a bid into the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament, which ended with a semifinal loss to Jones College.

"Jakobi is a terrific player and an even better person," Northwest coach Shane Oakley said. "USC Aiken will be getting a player that will do whatever it takes to win. We are thankful for his contributions to our program and we wish him continued success at the next level."

An All-Region 23 selection, Pearson scored in double figures 21 out of 26 games this season, including 10 games with 20 points or more. His best performance also turned out to be his only double-double of the season, a 28-point, 10-rebounds effort against Northeast in the Region 23 Tournament on March 3.

"Jakobi wins everywhere he goes," USC Aiken head coach Mark Vanderslice said. "From high school to junior college, he is a fearless competitor that has winning in his DNA. We are ecstatic about his addition to our program to say the least. As a natural playmaker and microwave scorer, he is capable of getting anywhere on the court with the ball in a hurry."

Prior to Northwest, Pearson spent his freshman season at Garden City Community College in Kansas, where he averaged 10.7 points and 2.7 assists per game.

Pearson is one of only two Rangers from the 2019-20 squad to move on to the next level, joining R.J. Duhart, who signed with Appalachian State in April.

USC Aiken competes at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Peach Belt Conference. The Pacers finished 17-14 overall and 13-7 in the PBC last season.