By Nicholas Huenefeld/OCCAC Sports Information
Springfield, Ohio---The Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) has named T.J. Steele and Ariel Bethea as the player of the week recipients in men's and women's basketball, respectively.
Steele, who becomes the first OCCAC men's basketball player of the week from Lorain County Community College since Wesley Harris on Feb. 7 of last season, averaged 32 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal last week in wins over Jamestown Community College and Westmoreland County Community College.
In his team's 96-89 win over Jamestown, Steele poured in 40 points on 15-for-21 shooting, which included a 6-for-10 performance from 3-point range. He also finished 4-for-6 from the free throw line while adding three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Then, in a 99-82 win over Westmoreland County, Steele had 24 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including a 4-for-8 finish from 3-point range and a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the foul line. He also contributed five rebounds, four assists and one steal in the game.
Steele, a sophomore guard, is now averaging 25 points, five rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game this year for Lorain County. His team will enter OCCAC play on Dec. 10 against Clark State with a 6-1 record overall.
Bethea, meanwhile, helped the Owens Community College women's basketball team remain undefeated by averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists and 3.5 steals per game in wins over Schoolcraft College and Muskegon Community College.
In her team's 92-50 win over Schoolcraft, Bethea had 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting (1-for-2 from 3-point range), four assists, four steals and three rebounds. Then, in her team's 86-55 win over Muskegon, she had 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting (1-for-1 from 3-point range), six rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Bethea is now second on the Owens team in scoring at 12.4 points per contest while also adding 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game from the guard spot. This was her first career OCCAC player of the week award.
Congratulations to both of these players!