UH’s Thomas takes top honors at hoops banquet

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Senior forward Mike Thomas received the Art Woolaway Most Outstanding Player Award at the Hawaii men’s basketball team’s 2017-18 postseason banquet at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom on Wednesday night.

Thomas, a five-year player and starting member of the Rainbow Warriors’ 2015-16 NCAA Tournament team, averaged team-highs of 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds this season and departed as the program’s all-time winningest player at 87. The three-year team captain also received the Riley Wallace Leadership Award.

Junior guard Sheriff Drammeh repeated as the team’s Bob Nash Hustle Award recipient after also receiving Big West Hustle Player honors this season.

Junior guard Brocke Stepteau got the nod as Most Improved Player after shooting 51 percent from the field and 44 percent on 3-pointers, the third-highest long-range season-conversion rate in program history. Four-year walk-on guard Zach Buscher received the Ah Chew Goo Most Inspirational Award.

Sophomore forward Zigmars Raimo was given the team’s community service award and senior forward Gibson Johnson received the scholar-athlete award.

Wednesday was also the first day of the spring signing period, but Eddie Stansberry, the Rainbow Warriors’ expected signee out of City College of San Francisco, will likely be made official in the coming days.

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Chaminade inks first recruit for 2018

The Chaminade women’s basketball team announced the signing of guard Ellyonna Bankofier on Wednesday, the first recruit for the 2018-19 season.

Bankofier is a 5-9 guard from Clackamas High School in Happy Valley, Ore., where she was a three-time all-league selection. She led Oregon’s Class 6A in 3-point shooting percentage (48.8 percent) and free-throw percentage (90.3) this past season. She also helped Clackamas to the conference championship as a junior.

HPU women remain second in poll

The Hawaii Pacific women’s tennis team remained in second in the NCAA Division II West Region women’s tennis rankings released Wednesday.

The Sharks (12-2) remain behind division rival Azusa Pacific (15-6). The rankings held the same as last week, with UC San Diego in third, Academy of Art fourth, Point Loma fifth and Sonoma State sixth.

>> In the Oracle/ITA D-II women’s tennis rankings also released Wednesday, the HPU women’s team checked in at No. 5 in the country.