Jones drops in double-double against Belgium

In her first game away from her team in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) this season, Jonquel “JJ” Jones helped the Bosnia and Herzegovina women’s national team breeze past the Belgium squad, 70-55, as Group C play got underway in the 2021 European Women’s Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket Women 2021, at the Rhénus Sport in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday.

The other two teams in the group are Slovenia and Turkey, and Bosnia and Herzegovina has to finish in the top three to advance. The winner of the group automatically earns a spot in the EuroBasket Women 2021 quarterfinals, and the top six nations will advance to qualifying tournaments for the 2022 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Women’s Basketball World Cup.

On Thursday, Jones had a double-double for her team, dropping in 13 points and collecting a game-high 17 rebounds in 38 and a half minutes on the floor. The Grand Bahamian center added three assists and had six turnovers. She shot 4-for-11 from the floor and was 1-for-6 from distance.

Jones made her only three point shot just 11 seconds into the game as she helped her squad get off to a fast start. She scored four more points in the period, and Bosnia and Herzegovina led 19-11 after one. Bosnia and Herzegovina led by as much as 10 points in that opening quarter.

Belgium battled all the way back in the second quarter, pulling to within a single point at one point, and trailing just 30-28 at the half.

The Belgian team pulled even at 32 early in the third quarter, and again at 36 and at 38, but was never able to surge ahead. They trailed 51-47 at the end of three, and got behind by as many as 15 points in the fourth which turned out to be the final margin in the game.

Jones and her team move on to play Turkey today and Slovenia on Sunday. A win in both games would give them a spot in the quarters. The semifinals and championship game will be played at the Pavelló Municipal Font de Sant Lluís in Valencia, Spain.

Belgium is the highest ranked team in the group in the FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike, at number six. Turkey is right behind them at number seven, Slovenia is ranked at number 30, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is at number 34.

Meanwhile, over in the WNBA, the Connecticut Sun is already feeling the pinch of losing their star player and MVP candidate. The Sun were blown out at home, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, losing 89-66 to the defending champions Seattle Storm, on Sunday.

The Sun took an early lead at 2-0 in that game, but the Storm quickly surged ahead and never looked back. Seattle pulled away with 14-2 run in the second quarter, and led by no less than 14 points in the second half.

Through the Sun’s first 10 games, Jones was having a stellar season, helping them match their best start in franchise history. She’s averaging 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game – the only WNBA player currently averaging a double-double. The 27-year-old sixth-year center out of George Washington University is second in the league in scoring and leading the way in rebounds while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor and 48.9 percent from three-point range – both career highs and top six in the league in both.

Jones is also second in the league in Fantasy Points at 43.7, trailing just former league MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm who is at 44.3.

The Sun took on the Chicago Sky in Chicago, Illinois, last night, but the result of that game was unavailable up to press time. They face the Sky in Chicago again on Saturday, and host the Dallas Wings in Uncasville next week Tuesday – all without Jones. Jones’ availability after that will be determined by how far Jones and Bosnia and Herzegovina advance in EuroBasket Women 2021.

The Sun are currently third in the WNBA Standings with an 8-3 win/loss record, trailing the defending champions Storm (11-2) and the 2020 WNBA runner-up Las Vegas Aces (9-3).

The post Jones drops in double-double against Belgium appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-drops-in-double-double-against-belgium/