Photo by Ron Rigdon
SPRINGFIELD, Mo – As a junior, Raychel Jones wore a superhero cape for the Vashon girls basketball team.
She led the St. Louis metro area in rebounding, ranked second in scoring, and on many nights, carried the Wolverines to victory.
But with the addition of dynamic guards Ja’Nyla Bush and Chantrel Clayton to the roster this season, Jones took a step back from her do-everything role.
She returned to superhero mode on Friday.
Jones scored 24 points, including the rally-starting and game-tying baskets as Vashon overcame a double-digit, fourth quarter deficit to defeat Benton 79-77 in double overtime and win the Class 4 state championship at the Show-Me-Showdown in Springfield.
Vashon (27-5) won a girls basketball state title for the first time in program history.
“This will probably go down as one of the best championship games ever seen, boys or girls, with blow after blow after blow,” Vashon coach John Albert said. “I’m just proud of my kids.”
Benton (27-4) broke open a close game by scoring 15 points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter to build a 55-44 lead.
To compound the problem for Vashon, Clayton was forced to play carefully throughout the entirety of the second half after picking up her fourth foul just 12 seconds into the third quarter.
“I had to play it safe. I couldn’t give up on my teammates,” Clayton said.
So, Jones donned her cape.
She drained a left-wing three to start a Vashon rally that saw the Wolverines go 5-for-7 from the field in the final three minutes, which included two triples from junior Ja’Nyla Bush.
At first, the Vashon hot streak did not affect the offensive efficiency of Benton. Seniors Kelsey Johnson and Peyton Anderson quickly responded with layups as the Cardinals dissected the full court pressure of the Wolverines with ease.
Bush, who joined Jones atop the scoresheet with 24 points, knocked down her second three-pointer of the quarter to slice the deficit to 59-53 with two minutes remaining.
“I knew we weren’t going to give up, we were going to keep playing and that’s what we did,” Bush said.
After the Wolverines drained three-pointers in three consecutive possessions, they began sending the Cardinals to the free throw line, and it changed momentum.
Benton, which played an overtime game against Park Hills Central in the state semifinal the previous day, missed six consecutive free throws, including the front end of a 1-and-1 twice.
And Vashon capitalized.
A mid-range jumper and a pair of foul shots by Clayton closed the deficit to two points. When Jones rebounded the sixth successive missed free throw by the Cardinals and raced coast-to-coast, it tied the game at 59 with 28 seconds remaining.
“I kept telling myself I wasn’t going home without a ring,” said Jones, who will continue her playing career at University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Jones got a steal in the waning seconds with a deft tap from behind, but a final 3-point attempt by Vashon rimmed out and the game went to overtime.
This time it was Benton that made the comeback. Trailing by three, junior Avery Morlock drained a long-range bomb in the final 30 seconds to send the game into a second overtime tied at 65.
“They made a ton of shots,” Albert said.
Bush connected on her fourth 3-ball of the game to open the second overtime, and Vashon maintained its lead by going 9-for-12 from the free throw line to build a 77-70 advantage.
But Benton, who had five players reach double-figures, kept making shots.
Freshman Eliana Arambula sank a three and Johnson got loose under the basket to close the deficit to 77-75 with 13 seconds remaining.
Clayton, who had somehow stayed foul-less throughout the entirety of the second half and through both overtimes, stepped to the foul line and sank two free throws with seven seconds left to secure the championship.
“Late in the game, we showed that we’re going to be fearless and we’re going to compete until it’s over,” Albert said.
For Jones, whose scoring average was 12 points less than it was last season, the sacrifices and sharing of responsibilities this year helped in producing the perfect result.
“Coming to Vashon, this was my main goal and I finally finished what I wanted to finish,” Jones said.