SEATTLE – If Eryn Jones was going to fall, she was going to make darned sure she threw a few more punches before hitting the canvas.
Never mind the double- and triple-teams that limited her to just three shots in the first half.
Forget the nagging full-court press that forced Jones to do most of her work before the ball even crossed mid-court.
And as for the inevitable exhaustion that comes with trying to carry a team on your back? Well, the Meadowdale junior ignored that too.
On a night that will be remembered for Auburn-Riverside’s semifinal knockout punch of the previously-unbeaten Meadowdale girls basketball team, Jones was not going down without a fight.
“She’s a competitor,” Meadowdale coach Dan Taylor said after Jones scored a game-high 19 points in a 52-42 loss to Auburn-Riverside in the 3A state semifinals Friday. “She’s got a killer instinct that not many players have. She wants to be the type of player that can take over games.”
Jones showed that throughout the second half of Friday’s game.
After having two or three defenders deny her the ball for most of the first half, Jones threw caution to the wind and tried to will her team to victory in the second half. Jones continually took the ball inside against bigger defenders, forcing up shots and drawing fouls.
She scored 12 second-half points as Meadowdale valiantly tried to fight back from an 11-point halftime deficit. While the Mavericks made uncharacteristic turnovers (22) and took questionable shots (Meadowdale shot 33 percent from the field), Jones did everything she could to keep Meadowdale’s championship dreams alive.
“I just tried to look for my shot more,” said a teary-eyed Jones, who also had three steals while playing all but 43 seconds of the 32-minute game. “I didn’t want to lose.”
Jones expended most of her energy just trying to get the ball across half-court. As the primary ball handler, Jones often had two defenders flanking her on every in-bounds pass. Auburn-Riverside’s press continued to hound her, yet Jones managed to get the ball into the front-court. Most of her team-high seven turnovers came on traveling calls, while the Mavericks (26-1) had only six turnovers in their own back-court.
“She’s the best ball handler on our team, so the key was to help her out when she was being double-teamed and get the ball in her hands,” said senior Marelle Moehrle, who endured a frustrating game that saw her go 0-for-10 from the field.
Auburn-Riverside’s Nichole Jackson, who was among three different on-ball defenders the Ravens threw at Jones, said stopping the junior point guard was her team’s first priority.
“To not let her get the ball,” Jackson said of the Ravens’ game plan. “I think we got her a little frustrated in the first half, but she can get it done when she wants to, and she showed that at times.
“She’s the heart and soul of that team.”
In addition to trying to break Auburn Riverside’s press, Jones was Meadowdale’s only offensive weapon for most of the game. She hit six of 11 field goal attempts while her teammates went a combined 8-for-31 from the field. Jones was on the receiving end on seven of Auburn-Riverside’s 17 fouls, making six of seven free throws.
Afterward, Jones looked understandably exhausted from the emotional and physical toll, but she wasn’t feeling sorry for herself.
“It’s the third day of the tournament,” she said, “so everyone’s legs are shot.”
As one of the top juniors in the state – she’s being recruited by more than one Pac-10 school – Jones has a bright future.
She did everything she could to extend the present season into one final, memorable game, and yet it wasn’t enough.
“She gave it her all,” Moehrle said. “She still has next year, but you always want to get it done this year.
“I’m glad I had a chance to play with her.”
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