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Jackson to playin Pan Am Games

Simone Jackson will join Tatiana Conceicao in the Pan American Games, giving the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball program two former players in that competition.

Conceicao, who averaged a team-leading 19.4 points per game on the 2005-06 Southeast squad that made the program's first NCAA Division I tournament appearance, is playing for her native Brazil, which is ranked fourth in the world.

Jackson, who averaged 11 points on that 2005-06 team, is playing for her native Jamaica, which is not ranked among the world's top 20 squads.

The Pan Am Games are under way in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Women's basketball begins Friday and ends Tuesday. Brazil and Jamaica are placed in Group A and will meet Friday in the second game of competition.

-- From staff report