TEMPE – Andrea Jones doesn’t get a lot of attention in the 5A-I Central Region.
“There’s a ton of Division I , big-time guards,” Dobson (Mesa) coach Tyler Dumas said.
None of them can boast like Jones today. Dobson’s 5-foot-5 point guard hit a tying 3-pointer with three seconds left in regulation, then sank a mid-range jumper with six seconds left in overtime to give the 10th-seeded Mustangs (29-7) a 61-59, state-championship win over top-seeded Phoenix St. Mary's (Phoenix)Wednesday at Arizona State University’s Wells Fargo Arena.
The title was the first for Dobson’s girls and came against the longest of odds.
“I’m supposed to remind you that nobody thought Dobson could win this game,” said Jones, who suffered from bronchitis-like symptoms for two weeks leading up to Wednesday’s game. “It was hard to breathe but I just pushed through it.”
The same can be said of the Mustangs. After jumping out to a quick, 12-1 lead, thanks to six points from Kameron Knutson (game-high 19 points), Dobson fell victim to St. Mary’s’ vaunted press. From the midpoint of the first quarter until halftime, the Knights (23-6) forced 13 Dobson turnovers to grab a 23-22 lead.
“That was fatigue,” Dumas said. “That and my lack of willingness to sub real deep. I just said we’re going to have to weather some storms, try to get through it and find a second wind.”
Dobson never let St. Mary’s build more than a two-possession lead and the Knights hurt themselves with poor shooting all night. But after Monique Williams hit two free throws with 26.7 seconds left for a 51-48 lead, it appeared the Knights had enough.
Dobson hadn’t hit a 3-pointer the entire night and Jones (10 points) missed her first attempt before the Mustangs corralled a loose ball and called timeout.
With a second chance, Jones didn’t miss, banking the shot in off the backboard to send the game into extra time.
Asked if she called glass, Jones quipped: “In my head.
“The entire game, I wasn’t making anything. It was about time I made something.”
GIRLS 5A-II FINAL: Rebecca Woodberry had seven of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter as Tolleson (28-5) beat Pinnacle (Phoenix) (23-11), 52-43.
