Jones returns, helps Whitworth to victory
The nation’s top shooting team witnessed a welcomed return to its lineup Friday night.
Whitworth’s James Jones, who led the Pirates in scoring before breaking his right wrist, started for the first time since early January and inspired his team in a 71-58 victory over Linfield in a men’s college basketball game at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
Ranked 13th in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, the Pirates improved to 18-2 overall and 9-2 in the Northwest Conference. Linfield fell to 7-13 and 2-9.
Jones averaged 16.1 points per game before his injury, and he didn’t appear to miss a beat in his return. He scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half to lead the Pirates to a 40-35 edge at halftime.
“It’s not easy,” Jones said of missing the past six games. “After we got off to such a great start, no one wants to sit out. You feel like you let down your teammates a little bit.”
James shoots with his left hand, so the injury doesn’t affect his release. He played with tape around the wrist, as well as a pad over the top of the hand. He admitted the injury hasn’t healed completely, but Whitworth coach Jim Hayford said his standout player had extra motivation to come back.
“James’ healing was expedited by a great case of senioritis accompanied with his mother’s trip from England – and her pestering him and our medical staff,” Hayford said through a coy smile.
The last time Hayford was asked about Jones, he said the guard’s absence “kills us.” Predictably, Hayford’s words didn’t sound so dire Friday night.
“What James does is stretch the defense and gives us depth at three positions on the court,” Hayford said. “So, conversely, when he’s not there, teams can pack it in (in the lane), and we’re limited on our rotations. So he gives us a great contribution to the team.”
Entering the weekend, Whitworth ranked first in the country with a 53.4 field-goal percentage. That average dipped a bit to 51.2 percent during Jones’ absence, but his marksmanship from the perimeter and ability to drive to the basket will help as the Pirates close in on their first NWC title since the 2002-03 season.
“He’s such a good scorer and opens things up and spreads the defense,” said Colin Willemsen, who returned to his previous role as the Pirates’ sixth man after filling in for Jones in the starting lineup. “He makes our offense so much better, and he’s such a great option to score.”
Ryan Symes and Kevin Hasenfus picked up their games on the offensive end while Jones was sidelined. They continued their solid play against the Wildcats – Symes matched Jones with 15 points, and Hasenfus contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Symes set the tone in the second half with aggressive drives to the bucket. His layin keyed a 7-0 spurt that turned a five-point advantage into a 51-39 lead with 14 1/2 minutes left and effectively put the game out of reach.
Evan Temperly led the Wildcats with 11 first-half points, but he was held scoreless after halftime.