Glenwood’s LaDajia Jones selected as All-Bi-City 1A-3A Girls Basketball Player of the Year

LaDajia Jones faced a lot of unknowns when she transferred from Smiths Station to Glenwood before her senior year of high school. Even with the task of meeting new teammates and changing her style of play, it didn’t take long for Jones to recognize that something special was in the making.

“As soon as I met my team in the summer and we started practicing, I just knew we were going to have a great season,” Jones said.

With Jones’ contributions, the Lady Gators did just that. The team went 28-1 en route to the state championship game, a matchup against Lee-Scott in which the senior guard Jones scored 19 points en route to victory.

Jones’ efforts throughout the 2016-2017 season led to her selection as the All-Bi-City 1A-3A Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Jones said the early portion of the season was the toughest, as injury caused the starting lineup to be shifted and forced Jones and the other starters to step up their game. Jones said the team struggled to click in the next game out, their lone loss of the season, which forced everyone to step up and reevaluate the situation.

“We kept moving forward and just pushed through,” Jones said. “We had to learn to play as a team. Everybody learned we had to just do more to win.”

It culminated in the title game against Lee-Scott, Glenwood’s primary rival. Glenwood fell behind early, which set up a fight-or-flight situation for Jones and her teammates. The Lady Gators knew through the playoff run that all eyes were on them, with the pressure building as the they drew closer to the title game.

Jones was frank in saying the nerves also built up as the playoff games went by. Still, with a championship now within reach, Jones told everyone they couldn’t stay down.

“I just had to keep reminding my team, ‘Y’all, we can do this. The game’s not over yet,’” Jones said.

Jones said she and her teammates avoided getting mad at each other and instead focused on getting back in the game. It showed as the Lady Gators answered in a 56-43 victory to deliver the program its seventh state title and third in the last four years.

“When the clock struck zero, that was a great feeling,” Jones said.

The latest Glenwood championship was the only one Jones was a part of, making it a season to remember. She thanked her teammates as well as Glenwood coaches, who she said were tremendously helpful in her transition into the program.

“Coming to Glenwood, that was my main goal: to be a state champion,” Jones said. “I made a sweet bond with my teammates. It was like a bond I haven’t had with any other team.”

This story was originally published April 23, 2017 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Glenwood’s LaDajia Jones selected as All-Bi-City 1A-3A Girls Basketball Player of the Year."