JOHN CURTIS - Daily Union Sports Editor
The Shelbyville Daily Union Female Winter Athlete of the Year, was eased into the line-up and did not have too many expectations placed on her, because she was only a freshman.
Nevertheless, freshman center Micah Jones of CHBC (Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City) led her team in scoring, led them in rebounding, and helped lead them to two tournament championships, their first-ever regional title, their first-ever sectional title, their first-ever super-sectional title and their first-ever appearance at the state tournament, finishing fourth in the state in Class A.
As personal icing on the cake, Jones recorded the first-ever, triple-double in the IHSA girls state tournament at any level. Jones scored 13 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, and blocked 11 shots in a single game. Her 19 rebounds were a state tournament single-game record and the 11 blocks were also a state tournament single-game record. She had a total of 12 blocks in two games at state, that tied a record for two games, as well.
Jones led CHBC with 419 points and 336 rebounds, again, as a freshman. She averaged a double-double for the season, scoring 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over 32 games. She also was third on the team in setting up her teammates to score, dishing out 56 assists. Jones also shot the most free throws on the team (113), making 59 (52 %).
Jones was a dominant performer in middle school leading her 7th grade team to the regional final, losing to Central A&M; (Class 2A State 4th Place finisher), then her 8th grade team (21-4) to regional and sectional titles and a trip to the state tournament, finishing Elite Eight. Who expected that Jones would make it two years in a row to State, as she helped lead her high school team to State in her first year?
Jones started out only expected to be a defensive help the paint, mainly as a shot blocker. In her first four games she scored in single figures, but broke into double figures in the first match with Teutopolis (10 points). She went on to score in double figures in 20 of her next 25 games. In the postseason, she scored in double figures in five of her six games.
Jones season-high was 24 points in a single game and she did that three times. She scored 24 in the Sandoval Tournament final win against Woodlawn, scored 24 against Dieterich in a, 57-54, regular season finale win, and scored 24 points against Altamont in the regional final, scoring the game-winning basket just before the buzzer, 53-51.
Micah Jones is the daughter of Jr. and Laura Endsley of Cowden.
