Hoge, Steele earn A.I.I. awards

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Jamestown College basketball standouts Mark Hoge and Hannah Steele have been named the Association of Independent Institution’s athletes of the week.

Steele led the Jimmie women to an A.I.I. tournament title and Hoge nearly did the same for the JC men. Both teams earned trips to the national tournament. Play begins March 6-7. Both teams will find out who and when they play tonight when the NAIA reveals its first-round pairings with an NCAA-style bracket unveiling. It can be seen online at naia.com.

Both Jamestown College basketball teams are in the national tournament for the third time in four years.

The women’s tournament is held in Sioux City, Iowa, and the men in Point Lookout, Mo., near Branson.

Hoge averaged 26.3 points in helping the Jimmies to a 2-1 record last weekend, which included a win over ninth-ranked Rochester (20-4) of Michigan in a qualifying-game Saturday. In the tournament Hoge made 11 of 19 3-pointers and had a 36-point explosion in the championship game against Dakota State.

For the season the 6-foot-3 junior out of Ironton, Minn., is averaging 18.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals.

Hoge and teammate Davon Thomas were also named to the all-A.I.I. team. Thomas averages 15 points and a team-leading eight rebounds.

Valley City State’s Sekani Milligen was named player of the year.

Steele had 27 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals as the Jimmie women improved to 26-5 with a pair of wins at the A.I.I. tournament. The 5-4 point guard from Circle Pines, Minn., also sank five 3-pointers.

Steele is averaging 10.1 points, 4.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. She ranks in the top 15 in assists per game and top 10 in total assists with 143.

Steele was joined on the all-A.I.I. team by senior Bridget Schuneman, who leads the Jimmies in scoring at 12 points per game and junior Carly Jensen, who is second on the team in scoring at nearly 11.

Mayville State’s Marcisa McMillan was named player of the year.

Tags: sports, jimmies, basketball