Photo by Gordon Radford
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Vashon senior Rayvin Jones remembered the first state semifinal appearance for the Wolverines.
As a sophomore, Jones was part of a Vashon team that seemed uncomfortable from the start, resulting in bickering between players, discontent with officials, a technical foul and a 23-point loss.
“Back then, we weren’t mentally present until the second half, and by then, the game was already set in stone,” Jones said.
On Thursday, Vashon again started slowly in a state semifinal.
And Rayvin Jones said nevermore.
Jones scored all seven of her points in a first-quarter flurry that turned an early deficit into a lead Vashon never relinquished as the Wolverines defeated Southern Boone 55-40 in a Class 4 semifinal Thursday at the Show-Me-Showdown at Missouri State University.
Vashon (26-5), which won its 10th game in a row, will face Benton (27-3) at 4 p.m. Friday at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield.
Benton outlasted Central Park Hills 55-48 in overtime in the other Class 4 semifinal.
Trailing 8-4, Jones drained a left-wing 3-pointer, then scored on a baseline drive to give Vashon the lead. The 5-foot-9 guard, known mainly for her defensive prowess, scored seven of the first nine points for Vashon despite averaging only 5.2 points per game during the season.
“It all starts with me playing my role as a defensive player. I bring energy to the team, and when I go on runs like that, it picks my teammates up,” Jones said.
Jones’ offensive outburst reversed the momentum of the game.
“Rayvin is our Dennis Rodman. She’s our Draymond Green. She’s going to guard, she’s going to be physical, and she gave us the spark that we needed tonight,” Vashon coach John Albert said.
Vashon opened a 24-16 lead, but Southern Boone utilized its advantage on the boards to claw within striking distance. Senior Emilee DeHaas led the Eagles with 16 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the school record holder for rebounds in a season in the process.
“We pride ourselves on working hard. Things like offensive boards are going to win you games and that’s just a matter of outworking the other team,” DeHaas said.
Southern Boone senior Paige Morse drained a jump shot to cut the deficit to 26-21 before another unsung hero took center stage for Vashon.
Briana Hoffman-Collins, who was held scoreless in the first half, swished two triples on successive possessions to help Vashon open a double-digit lead. Hoffman-Collins scored 10 points in the second half and delivered mightily on the defensive end.
“Bri is one of our best shooters and she knows what her job is, but defensively, that was probably the best I’ve seen her play all year,” Vashon coach John Albert said.
From there, dynamic guards Ja’Nyla Bush and Chantrel Clayton took over the game. Bush led the Wolverines with 16 points and Clayton added 15. Both knocked down shots from way behind the college three-point line, scored in transition and made acrobatic shots in traffic.
“Even though our first half wasn’t our best half, we stuck together,” Bush said.
The Wolverines also seemed to get a boost from an energetic cheering section in the bleachers under the basket – the Vashon boys team.
“They’re our hype men,” Clayton said.
Both the Vashon boys and girls basketball teams will try to win state titles Friday.
The boys team will seek its sixth title in the last eight seasons at 2 p.m. Friday in the game that precedes the Vashon girls contest.
The Vashon girls will try to win the first championship in program history and become the first girls basketball team from the Public High League (PHL) to capture a title since Metro won back-to-back titles in 2006-07.
For Jones, the hard lessons learned during the 2021 semifinal appearance have helped the Wolverines reach the brink of a championship.
“We’re a collective team. If one messes up, we all mess up,” Jones said. “(Friday), we just have to put in as much energy as we did in the second half and push through.”
Clayton added, “It’s going to be fun.”