Jones Jolts Eagles to Big Win Over Shakopee
The Sophomore Point Guard Took Control in Crucial Conference Game
Apple Valley’s Tre Jones (3) plays defense against Shakopee on Thursday night
For Apple Valley, there is a new Jones in town–and he can ball.
In a performance highly reminiscent of the shows his now-Timberwolf brother Tyus used to put on for the Eagles, Tre Jones scored a season-high 35 points while leading Apple Valley to a gritty 75-65 overtime win over Shakopee on Thursday.
A second-half Valley lead evaporated late, with sloppy passing resulting in numerous turnovers for the Eagles. Tough play on the defensive end kept the game close, and that’s where Jones took over.
Down two with 12 seconds to play, Jones drove through the Shakopee defense for a layup to tie the game at 59–but his efforts in regulation didn’t stop there. As the Sabers rushed up the court for a chance for a game-winning shot, Jones hustled back and poked the ball away, ensuring overtime.
“He understands the game,” said Apple Valley head coach Zach Goring. “Some kids–there are four seconds left, we just made a bucket–they could relax and watch the game instead of make a play. Tre came back and made a play.”
The break for overtime did nothing to slow him down.
Jones put the top-ranked Eagles on track early in the extra session, scoring his team’s first five points–and 9 of their 16 total in overtime. It was as though Jones simply willed his team to a victory, something Tyus–who was in attendance–earned a reputation for during his days in the AVHS gym.
“Tre looked like Tyus tonight in the way he closed the game,” Goring said. “That’s the way Tyus used to just take over.”
“My teammates…they put me in position to be successful, and I was trying to do the same for them,” Jones said. “My shot was just open and happened to fall tonight.”
Apple Valley’s Luke Martens looks to make a play on Thursday night.
As if the eighth-ranked Sabers weren’t enough of a challenge, Apple Valley (and state of Minnesota) leading scorer Gary Trent Jr. did not play due to an illness, leaving a team already short on depth–starters accounted for all but two of the Eagles’ points–in need of someone to step up.
Early on, Jones and senior Cameron Kirksey played the part, seemingly trading off buckets, as well as making key plays on defense. However, Kirksey soon found himself in foul trouble, leading to more time on the bench for him than the Eagles would have liked. Even without Kirksey’s defense, Apple Valley still kept Shakopee’s Steffon Mitchell in check–holding him to five points below his season scoring average.
“Aaron Ertz, along with Tre, I think was the MVP tonight,” Goring said. “Being able to guard Steffon, with a big body…and be smart about it.”
Kirksey would finish his night with 16 points, including a dunk in overtime that put the exclamation point on the Eagle comeback. Senior Brock Bertram also put up double digits with 14 points.
“It’s great for our team,” Jones said of the tough victory. “Every game’s not going to be perfect…it just shows that we have each other’s backs, and we can finish games.”
With the win, Apple Valley moves to within one victory of its fourth straight South Suburban Conference title–the Eagles boast a 69-1 conference record over the last four years. They look to clinch the title in their next game: Tuesday, February 16, at Lakeville North.
