ANDERSON, S.C. – Anderson University men's basketball junior Jalen Hillery and softball's Kayson Boatner have been named the Jimmy John's Male and Female Athletes of the Week.
Hillery helped lead the men's basketball team to a pair of wins last week, including a 71-61 win over Coker in the first round of the SAC Pilot Flying J Men's Basketball Championship. The native of Lawrenceville, Ga., averaged a team-high 19.3 points per game over the three-game span and also led AU by recording 6.3 rebounds and a pair of steals per contest.
The 6-foot-6 junior poured in a career-high 31 points on the strength of eight 3-pointers in the win over Newberry and added 10 points in the comeback win over Coker. He connected on 52.8 percent (19-of-36) of his field goal attempts, but was even hotter from beyond the arc, going 13-of-24 (54.2%) from long range. Hillery was also 7-of-8 from the free throw line last week.
Boatner was 8-for-14 (.571) at the plate, with two doubles and three home runs for an impressive 1.357 slugging percentage, while driving in eight runs on the week. The Phenix City, Ala., native also crossed the plate seven times and posted a .625 on-base percentage.
In game one against Georgia College, Boatner's RBI-double put the Trojans in the lead for good. Despite being pitched around in game two against the Bobcats with two walks, Boatner finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
She was also instrumental in Anderson's conference-opening wins against UVA Wise. Game one against the Cavaliers featured a 2-for-3 performance with a double and two runs scored. With the Trojans trailing 3-1 in the nightcap, she drilled a three-run homer to give the Trojans a 4-3 lead and later blasted another home run to tack on two more runs. Boatner has helped lead the Trojans to an 11-1 overall record and 2-0 conference slate.
Each week, one male and one female student-athlete are honored as the Jimmy John's Athlete of the Week for his or her performance in competition, in the classroom, or in the community.
