HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – Off the back of a 44-point performance in a double-overtime victory against the Hope College Flying Dutch last week, senior guard Connor Jones has been named Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Athlete of the Week. It is the second time this season that Jones has been tabbed Athlete of the Week for men's basketball in the league.
The Danville, Indiana native tied Trine's NCAA DIII record for points in a game with 44 in Wednesday's 89-84 win against Hope. Ian Jackson had 44 points as well in a 2013 game against Olivet College. The game was the team's conference opener and has helped the Thunder to garner national recognition by being ranked in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll for the first time this year.
Jones played a game-high 43 minutes and shot 15-of-28 from the field, 3-of-7 from beyond the arc and 11-of-14 from the charity stripe. With four seconds remaining in regulation, Jones in-bounded the basketball to Grant Pahl, who buried a corner three to tie the game and send it to overtime. In that period, Jones knocked down a long range three that forced a second overtime. He would score eight more points in the second overtime to get to the 89-84 final score.
In Saturday's 92-61 victory at Albion College, Jones was once again the high man with 26 minutes on the floor. He scored five points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists to get Trine to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play. Jones is second in the MIAA in assists per game (3.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75) in 2022-23.
The Thunder are at home on Wednesday, January 11 and welcome Olivet College to the MTI Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.