The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE long-awaited debut for Jonquel Jones and the George Washington Women’s Basketball Programme was better than advertised as she helped lead the team to a rout in her first game in a Colonials uniform.

Jones scored the first eight points of the game for the Colonials and finished with a double double - a career high 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 80-54 win over the North Carolina A and T Aggies.

The Grand Bahama native and sophomore forward combined with teammates Megan Nipe and Danni Jackson for 61 of their team’s 80 points to lead the Colonials to their third consecutive win.

Jones finished an efficient 7-10 from the field, made her only attempt from beyond the three-point arch and pulled down a team high five offensive rebounds.

“It was definitely a moment I waited a long time for, having to sit out a year and it felt great to be out there with my sisters. I was extremely excited to be out there playing. I had a lot of energy and I was just ready to play,” she said in an interview with the Colonials’ RaiseHigh.TV.

Jones was forced to sit out the remainder of her freshman year and the first 10 games of her sophomore year, after transferring last season from Clemson. She has been a regular in practices and on the scouting team while she awaited her eligibility. That chemistry she built over the past few months was on display from the early moments of the game when she scored all of the Colonials’ points to start the game on an 8-3 run.

“I’m used to playing with these girls and I know where the ball is and I know how it feels to play out there with them so its easy to play like that when you play with great players,” she said. “We get open lanes we get more time with the ball as well so it’s definitely great to have those girls out there who can draw the defence in when we catch the ball down low in the post.”

The Colonials are 7-4 and have one game remaining before they open up conference play in the A10.

“I feel like there is always work to do of course but there are definitely some stuff that I feel like I’m more rusty on,” Jones said. “There is definitely some work to be done, feeling out people in the game because I practice with them so much but kind of getting that game feel for them and how they move and what kind of decisions they make in certain situations so all of that stuff comes into play when you talk about in-game experience.”

Jones and the Colonials return to action next Saturday, December 28, when they host American University 2pm at home at the Charles E Smith Centre.

Jones was a highly touted recruit out of Riverdale Baptist in Maryland and originally committed to Clemson before she transferred after just eight games. Heading into her freshman year at Clemson, expectations were high as Jones was named to the ACC Preseason Newcomer Watch List by both the ACC head coaches.

In her eight-game career with the Tigers in the 2012-2013 season, the 6’4” Jones averaged 9.8 points, 10 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. She posted four double doubles and ranked fourth in the ACC in both rebounds and blocked shots at the time of her departure. She shot 48 per cent from the field and in her final game with the Tigers, posted career highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds at South Carolina State.

Jones was ranked by “ESPN Hoop Gurlz” at No. 17 in the country among high school seniors when she led Riverdale to the top ranking in the state and 35-2 record overall. She averaged 15.7 points and 15.6 rebounds and was named Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year and Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year. She was also named to the 2012 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association High School All-America Game presented by Nike and was a McDonald’s All-America nominee.