One final dose of home cooking
Marian Catholic’s Jones scores 19 points, grabs 6 rebounds as Spartans roll past De La Salle
If several family members in the crowd and the emotions of playing his final game on Marian Catholic’s home court did not provide enough motivation for senior guard Quentin Jones, he also had a special guest Thursday night.
His future college coach, Cal Poly’s John Smith, came all the way out to Chicago Heights to watch Jones play.
“I knew I had to impress him,” Jones said. “It’s the first game he’s been to here, so I tried to play with a little more energy. Plus, I really realized this is the last time I’m going to play here. My family was here, my coach was here and it was my last game.
“I’m glad we could come out with the win and I could play well in front of everyone.”
Jones put on a show for his cheering section, scoring 19 points and pulling down six rebounds to lead the host Spartans to a 50-42 win over De La Salle in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Donovan Juzang scored 10 points for Marian Catholic (24-7), while Tre Davis finished with nine points and Jonah Weathers and
Zack Sharkey each added six.
Evan Jackson led De La Salle (20-11) with 15 points and eight rebounds. Richard Lindsey chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds and Alioune Mbaye contributed six points and seven rebounds.
Jones made sure his huge senior season had a strong final chapter at home.
“I told him that it was senior night and his next coach was here, so there was a lot of pressure and, man, did he respond,” Marian Catholic coach Mike Taylor said of Jones. “He did everything. He scored, he rebounded, he handled the ball well and defended. It was a really well-rounded game.
“I’m proud of him and the rest of our seniors. They’re a really special group.”
As Jones gets set to head to Cal Poly, he wants to accomplish one huge goal while hoping it’s just a step on the path to an even bigger one.
“When you’re young, the dream was always to go to the NBA,” Jones said. “This is the way to get there. I knew I was going to go to college first and I wanted to play for a good school.
“I’ve always dreamed of being in this spot, and now I’m here. I’m just excited to put the work in and succeed.”
Jones kept the Spartans afloat while his teammates struggled shooting early. He scored 12 points in the first half.
“I’ve always got confidence in him,” Davis said of Jones. “I know he puts in the work. I see it every day. I’m always 100% behind him.”
Weathers missed his first six shots and was scoreless until the fourth quarter, but he hit two important 3-pointers in less than two minutes to extend Marian Catholic’s lead to 43-35.
“I’m a shooter, so I just have to always be ready to shoot,” Weathers said. “It just came to me in the moment when we needed it. That’s what matters.”
De La Salle had no answer against a tough Spartans defense and suffered its second straight loss, following one to Kenwood in a final week with a loaded schedule.
“We couldn’t have played two better games to get us prepared,” De La Salle coach Gary DeCesare said. “Our offense, everyone thinks they’ve got all the answers. The kids need to start listening to their coaches.”
Marian Catholic, meanwhile, goes into the playoffs with confidence.
“I think we’ve really grown as a team,” Jones said. “I’ve put the work in and I know these guys have, too. I think we should shock a few people. I’m excited for it.”