Over the course of the 2020-21 season, it's always been a different guy in every game that has stepped up to provide the Shawnee State men's basketball team with a lift.
On Saturday evening, it was James Jones' turn to put together a difference-making output.
The senior's monstrous 31-point outing, in fact, led Shawnee State to its first-ever national semifinal appearance in program history -- and the institution's first since Hall of Fame head coach Robin Hagen-Smith led the 2010-11 women's basketball program to the national semis -- with a 76-65 victory over the Jamestown (N.D.) Jimmies' basketball program Saturday afternoon in the NAIA National Quarterfinals at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Kan.
Held to a lower shooting performance than its normal standard, the Bears, who shot 28-of-66 (42.4 percent) from the field, held a proficient Jamestown offense to 41 percent (25-of-61) and outrebounded the Jimmies by a plus-seven margin (41-34) despite Jamestown sporting a sizeable frontline on its own accord with six players at least 6-6 or taller. EJ Onu also enjoyed another terrific defensive output Saturday afternoon, blocking nine shots while posting a team-high 11 rebounds to boot in the 11-point win.
Jones takes turn on center stage
As proficient as the day is long, James Jones' game simply proved to be on a different level than that of his peers Saturday.
With the Bears trailing by a 7-0 margin to start the game, and by as many as 10 points early in the opening half, Jones was vital in getting Shawnee State's offense on the right track.
His smooth pull-up game and all-around skill level on full display, Jones scored seven of Shawnee State's first 10 points to help the Bears close within 14-10 at the 13:36 mark of the opening half, then scored four points during a 7-0 SSU spurt that gave the Bears a 22-21 lead with 6:32 to play in the first half before Shawnee State entered the half down by a 33-32 margin.
In the second half of work, Jones went right back to work as the 6-4 senior scored six of the Bears' first eight points in the half, leading to an 8-2 run that put Shawnee State ahead by a 40-37 margin with 16:33 to go.
However, Jones' biggest plays came during the latter portion of the second half.
Over a span of 3:03 (8:20 to 5:17 2H), the Chicago, Ill. native scored eight consecutive points to help fend off a Shawnee State run at every stop, with the Bears ultimately taking control of the game by pushing their lead from five (56-51) to nine points (64-55) due to Jones' work. The lead never shrank below four possessions over the remainder of the game from that juncture on forward.
For the contest, Jones' 18 second-half points allowed the senior to finish 13-of-23 from the field en route to his 31-point outing. He added in five rebounds to complete the performance.
Onu continues defensive domination, intimidation
Not shy about throwing it back in the eyes of the opposition, EJ Onu continued to post ridiculous numbers with his work defensively.
Even though Onu didn't connect on a single field goal offensively, the 6-11 native of Cleveland, Ohio showcased his heart and grit by finding additional ways to impact the box score as the only guy to not only grab double-figure rebounding numbers (with 12), but the only person to even post more than seven rips off of the glass.
Onu also posted six of his nine blocks in the second half to help the Bears overcome a one-point halftime deficit, with the center posting four of those six second-half blocks in the final six-and-a-half minutes of work.
Thomas continues big play knack down stretch
The quintessential team player, Miles Thomas has also been huge all year long when Shawnee State has needed him most.
Needing big buckets, Thomas delivered them at some of the most critical points, knocking down a three-pointer in the middle of Shawnee State's 7-0 spurt that Jones helped contribute to during the middle of the first half, then two free throws in a 4-0 run over a 58 second span that cut a 33-28 deficit down to 33-32 just before the half.
In the second half, Thomas' and-one with 11:33 to go in the second half proved to be massive as the 6-6 wing's finish through contact ignited an 11-3 push that allowed Shawnee State to begin putting the game on ice -- with the Bears rallying from a 48-47 deficit to a 59-51 advantage with eight minutes to go.
Mitchell, Carlisle valuable weapons off bench
As they have proven to be all year long, Donoven Carlisle and Latavious Mitchell were each important cogs in Shawnee State's 11-point triumph over Jamestown.
In Saturday's national quarterfinal win, the pair combined for 14 points and nine rebounds to continue cementing their impact on a unit that has now won 25 straight.
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Amier Gilmore (seven rebounds, four points), and Issac Abergut, Jakiel Wells and Kobie Johnson, who combined for 12 points, all contributed heavy minutes and effort in the victory.
With the win, Shawnee State (29-2) will face St. Francis, Ind. (27-8) Monday evening at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT in Kansas City in the NAIA National Semifinals. The winner advances to Tuesday evening's NAIA National Championship Game, which will begin at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
For more information on SSU Bears Athletics, visit www.ssubears.com or visit the Twitter and Facebook pages at https://twitter.com/SSUBears and https://www.facebook.com/SSUBears. For more information on how to join the SSU Bear Club or for sponsorship of specific SSU players or events, visit https://givetossu.com/bear-club and https://givetossu.com/sponsorthebears.
