Spartans just can’t keep a secret as Jordan Jones sparks huge win over Ewing

Jordan Jones
Steinert’s Jordon Jones blocks a shot against Ewing in the Spartans win over the Ewing Blue Devils. Photo by Michael A. Sabo

By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com
Feb. 2:
Who is Jordan Jones?

“She’s our secret,” Leila Collazo said with a grin.

Well folks, the secret’s out.

Jones enjoyed the biggest game of her career in helping provide the biggest win of the Kristin Jacobs era for Steinert’s girls’ basketball team.

The senior forward came off the bench for 10 points and, with the game slipping away, provided the defensive play of the year for the Spartans in a 64-60 victory over defending Mercer County Tournament champion Ewing.

“Everybody underestimates her,” said Collazo, who scored 11 points and made the game-clinching free throw. “Jordan was a BIG factor in this game. Next year we’re gonna struggle without her. Everybody didn’t expect her to come out like this and I’ve known Jordan Jones all my life. I was ready for her to show everybody.”

And show, she did.

The usual suspects were hard at work. Natalie Mehl scored 14 points, made four 3-pointers and shot 5-for-7, while Tatiana Dorner added 14  points, including eight in the frantic fourth quarter. Erika Golik had seven points and 12 rebounds to help offset Ewing star Mya Grimes (24 points, 14 rebounds).

But it was Jones who came out of the mist and into the spotlight. After scoring just 13 points in the season’s first 17 games, she made all three of her field goals and all four of her free throws to keep Steinert ahead in the second quarter.

In fact, the Spartans led the entire way, taking a 3-0 lead and never letting Ewing tie it, though the Devils (15-3) came close.

Steinert (14-4) led 14-11 after one quarter, 30-27 after two and had a hard-earned 51-42 advantage after three. The game was far from a masterpiece as both teams missed a lot of shots and committed a lot of turnovers.

But the Spartans were getting to the foul line, finishing 20-for-31. They opened their biggest lead at 55-42 early in the fourth quarter but Grimes went on a tear and Steinert began missing free throws and suddenly it was 61-60.

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With 19.3 seconds left, the Spartans missed two more from the line and Ewing was gunning for its first lead. But Myasia Jackson’s baseline lay-up attempt rolled off the rim and into the hands of teammate Tyquazya Davis.

And though she hadn’t scored since that second-quarter outburst, Jones made an even bigger impact by knocking the ball from Davis’ hands, allowing Jayda Bing to grab it. Ewing was called for an intentional foul on Bing. Jayda made both with 6.7 seconds left to finish with eight points and Collazo followed by making one to seal the victory.

“My first reaction was just grab the ball and get it out,” Jordan said. “The game was tight and we just had to get the ball up to the offense.”

Asked if the Spartans were nervous or confident as their lead kept dwindling, Jones laughed and said, “A little of both. We were all anxious, we were all in the game but we knew if we worked together as a team it would be there and we had to keep our composure together.”

It was the kind of victory Steinert sorely needed with tournament time approaching. The Spartans are enjoying their best season in years but did not have a signature win after losing to Notre Dame on opening night and falling to Allentown last week.

“We had that opportunity at Allentown,” Jacobs said. “I know they were disappointed, the effort was there against Allentown. We just didn’t finish like we finished tonight.

“We had the opportunity against Notre Dame in the first game of the year. We played a great first half. And we came out flat in the third quarter. All I said at the half tonight was ‘Notre Dame’ And they said ‘We’re not gonna let it happen coach.’ I said ‘Don’t make me call a timeout and yell at ya,’ and they didn’t.”

Steinert is within one win of tying the most it has had under Jacobs, which came last year, and a victory like tonight’s can certainly go far when it comes to the Mercer County Tournament. The Spartans no longer wonder “can we?” when it comes to beating a standout team.

“Every game you have to play like it’s gonna be your last and you’ve gotta play like you’re losing,” Collazo said. “That’s what we’ve worked on a lot for the past few seasons, is just keeping our intensity and just keep pushing and pushing. Everybody wasn’t expecting us to win and I think we were a little like ‘Oh, maybe we’re not.’ But practice shows, and we won. We just had to stay together, be a team.”

And after tonight’s team win, it’s safe to say even Jones will be acknowledged at this year’ post-season banquet.

“Last year at the banquet, you’re writing stuff down and calling people’s names and lo and behold, there I was, forgetting Jordan Jones’ name,” Jacobs said with a laugh. “I won’t forget her now.

“She is the type of kid that does the right thing every day. She works hard. She’s been battling through a little illness, a little knee injury she got a couple weeks ago, and she just comes and works hard and we don’t always need her as much as we needed her today; but we needed her today.”

And they got her. The very best of her.

About The Author


Rich Fisher has been around the Hamilton Township sports scene for so long that he actually got Rich Giallella’s autograph when Giallella was still a player! Proud product of Hamilton YMCA and Lou Gehrig baseball leagues and former teammate of Jim Maher on a very average Barton & Cooney rec basketball team, Fish graduated from Nottingham Junior High and Steinert High school and has covered township sports since 1980. His goal in life is to convince Maria Prato that Jersey tomatoes are at least 100 times better than California tomatoes.