Jones makes Pacific pay with offense and defense

BOISE — If the season was to end here for the Washington Huskies, Bobby Jones decided, there were going to be no second thoughts. No regrets.

So as the Huskies waited out the minutes before the start of their second-round NCAA tournament game against Pacific here yesterday, Jones rode an exercise bike an extra 15 minutes to make sure his blood was pumping. Stretched a little more to make sure he was loose. Took a few more shots to make sure he had a good feel for the court.

"I was just feeling like this might be our last game, and I wanted to make sure I was as prepared as possible," Jones said.

Jones then took all that energy to the court, turning in a performance that helped turn the game Washington's way as the Huskies beat Pacific 97-79 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998 and third since 1953.

"He usually steps up in big games, and he certainly did today," said UW coach Lorenzo Romar.

The Huskies would have been happy enough simply with the time Jones clocked in on the defensive end, where he made Christian Maraker, Pacific's All-Big West forward, a non-factor for the last 28 minutes of the game. Maraker had 12 points at the 8:13 mark of the first half, then never scored again, taking just three shots in the second half.

Jones said the key was making Maraker catch the ball farther away from the basket than he would like.

"Usually I rise to the occasion when I play against people who are, competition-wise, on the same level, if not better," Jones said.

But Romar had told Jones before the game to not be just a defensive player.

"This isn't football where you play offense, and then leave the field," Romar said. "You have to make sure they have to guard you, too."

Jones didn't waste any time fulfilling that request. After a Mike Jensen three-pointer opened the scoring for UW, Jones scored the next 10 in a row for the Huskies on his way to 19 for the game, his second-highest total since December.

"I was in my own zone," Jones said. "I was shooting the ball good in warmups and I thought I could come out and make an impact on the game quickly. I knew if I could make my first couple of shots they had to respect me, too, and I could be another weapon on the court."

Jones scored his points in just 22 minutes, thanks to foul trouble, making 6 of 8 shots and both of his three-pointers, at which he has become increasingly more proficient as the season has progressed.

After the game had ended, and Jones and Romar waited to conduct postgame interviews on the court, coach and player embraced.

"Good job, Compton," Romar told Jones. Each is a native of that Southern California city.

"I guess there is a little bond there between us," Jones said. "He was excited, and we were each just happy that we could play one more game."

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com