By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Chloe Jones brings the fire to Willow Springs.
And when she heats up, the fire spreads quickly amongst the team.
Jones erupted for a game-high 27 points to lift Willow Springs past Chadwick 40-32 in the championship game of the Seymour Lady Tiger Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
Teammates Alexis Sigman and Sophie Jackson combined for 13 points as Willow Springs overcame a 10-point halftime deficit.
Jones, the all-time leading scorer in program history, sparked the second-half comeback with big shots and flashy celebrations.
“Anytime I get a big play like that, I celebrate a little bit but it’s mostly because I can get my girls going,” Jones said. “If I flex after an ‘and one’ or celebrate after a 3-pointer, they feed off that and they get going. Then momentum builds.”
The Lady Bears (16-5 overall, No. 10 in Class 3 MBCA state rankings) certainly needed a boost. They trailed 14-2 after the first quarter then 27-17 at halftime.
Willow Springs limited Chadwick, the defending Class 1 state champions, to just five points in the second half.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“We played our butts off,” said Willow Springs coach David Cox. “I’m super proud of our effort. I couldn’t ask for more, especially that second half. We played with grit and determination.
“You could just tell we wanted it today.”
Jones began the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer followed by a 3-point play to give Willow Springs its first lead (32-30) of the game. She had 11 points in the fourth quarter and made six 3-pointers overall.
“When Chloe really gets on fire and she hits a few (shots) in a row, that really brings all of us up,” said Willow Springs senior Sydney Stuart. “We’re like, ‘Ok, this can happen!’ We all just get hyped and there’s no stopping us.”
Tied at 32 with three minutes to play, Willow Springs scored the final eight points. Sigman’s basket with 1:30 remaining put the Lady Bears up for good, 37-32.
Emily Landry led Chadwick (15-4 overall, No. 2 in Class 1 MBCA state rankings) with 16 points. Macy Landry added seven points.
The Lady Bears stayed in a zone defense throughout the game and challenged Chadwick’s supporting cast to score from the perimeter.
“We wanted to make sure we knew where (the Landrys) were, then dare some of those other girls to shoot the ball,” Cox said. “If (Chadwick) made shots, we were in trouble. Thankfully, they didn’t and we were able to get the rebounds.”
A year ago, Willow Springs lost 32-14 to Chadwick in the semifinals of this same tournament.
Saturday’s comeback win showed just how resilient this senior-heavy group has become, Cox said.
“They’ve really developed some toughness, and they understand basketball and how these games go,” he said. “They’ve had some losses the last couple of years in these games. That’s just instilled in them that this is the last opportunity for this group and these six seniors.”
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Jones has a month or so remaining in her stellar career at Willow Springs. She became the program’s all-time leading scorer in mid-December, then surpassed 2,000 career points on Jan. 22.
“It’s been amazing. These have been my girls since Day 1. We’ve been playing together since second or third grade,” Jones said. “Being able to win with these girls, I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
Saturday’s rally was the latest example of the 5’7” senior guard going into heat check mode.
“When she puts her mind to it, you’re not stopping her,” Cox said. “When she gets on a stretch like that, we just try to get her the ball and get out of the way.”
As February arrives, Willow Springs wants to make more history. The Lady Bears haven’t won a district championship in girls’ basketball since 1999.
“It’s definitely a goal because it’s definitely achievable,” Stuart said. “With how we’re playing right now, if we continue like this it’s very possible.”
Said Cox: “It would really mean a lot to the program and these girls to put the first district title on our board in 20-some years.”
Chadwick returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 5 at Blue Eye. Willow Springs will hit the road for a conference matchup at Salem on Monday night.
Willow Springs 40, Chadwick 32
Willow Springs 2 15 9 14 — 40
Chadwick 14 13 3 2 — 32
Willow Springs (14-5 overall) – Chloe Jones 27, Alexis Sigman 7, Sophie Jackson 6
Chadwick (15-4 overall) – Emily Landry 16, Macy Landry 7, Ella Herd 4, Elynn Lowery 3, Calli Oldenburg 2
