Jordan Jones started Sunday’s game against Mississippi State in an unfamiliar position: on the bench.
Her name wasn’t blared as part of the starting lineup, as it had been in 21 of UF’s previous 22 contests, but that didn’t bother Jones.
“I’ve done it twice this season, and we’re 2-0,” Jones said. “I’ve had pretty decent games. It puts a chip on my shoulder — not to prove coach Butler wrong — but to show where I belong.”
Coming off the bench for the first time since Nov. 29 — when she scored a season-high 25 points — Jones scored a game-high 21 en route to an 80-78 double-overtime win over the Bulldogs.
Jones is the Gators’ leading scorer at 9.9 points per game, but she averaged just 6.2 points in Southeastern Conference play prior to MSU.
That didn’t change when Jones first came into the game, as she was held scoreless for nearly seven minutes after taking the court.
But with 5:22 remaining in the first half, she hit a layup, was fouled and drained the ensuing free throw, her first of an 11-for-11 day from the charity stripe. After that free throw, Jones added 18 more for her second-highest scoring game of the season.
Part of her performance was due to observing the opposing defense before she went out on the court.
“Coming off the bench is a place where you can sit back and see how the flow of the game is going,” Jones said.
She wasn’t the only starter relegated to the bench. Azania Stewart, a 20-game starter, also sat out early.
Stewart added seven points and six rebounds, giving the Gators’ bench even more depth.
“Having bench players, always one of our targets is to outscore the opponents’ bench because we do have a great bench,” Stewart said.
