FAYETTEVILLE -- Jameisha "Pink" Jones is the picture-perfect definition of Fayetteville girls' basketball this season.
With her speed, defense and aggressive moves up and down the floor, Jones captures the true essence of what the Lady Bulldogs are about on the court.
Jameisha “Pink” Jones
School: Fayetteville
Class: Junior
Height: 5-9
Notable: Averages 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game. … Took over starting point guard position as a sophomore last year. … Twin sister Janeishia “Blu” Jones also plays for the Lady Bulldogs.
"If we had a program for our year, Pink Jones would be on our cover," Fayetteville girls basketball coach Vic Rimmer said. "She defines what we are. She is that speed; she pushes the ball and attacks the rim and gets the ball to other people.
"So she epitomizes what the Lady Bulldogs are, for sure."
Jones, a 5-foot-9 junior, showed flashes of her ability last season when she was pushed into the point guard role. At the time, Jones admits there was still a lack of confidence as a new sophomore on the high school stage.
Now with a varsity year under her belt, Jones appears focused and more than ready to lead the Fayetteville attack.
"I feel more experienced now. Last year I was just nervous about playing in high school," Jones said. "But now I feel more comfortable."
Jones averages 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game for Fayetteville (11-5, 3-0 7A-West). Her ability to keep the game up tempo and force opponents into an uncomfortable pace with harassing defense are her top traits.
"I feel like Pink has grown up mentally and physically," Rimmer said. "And Pink is a kid, if you don't pay attention to her, she's going to get after you with some points, and defensively she's always been so good because she's so athletic and works so hard."
Jones has her own identity among the Lady Bulldogs' roster as the athletic, defensive workhorse. And for Jones, standing out isn't always an easy task.
With twin sister, Janeisha "Blu" Jones, also on the Fayetteville team, telling the two siblings apart can be a chore. Thanks to an idea concocted around the time they began school, the sisters do their best to help with the confusion.
"When we were little, my mom gave us these colors. Originally I was blue and Blu was pink," Pink Jones said. "But then I wanted Pink so we changed.
"They used to call us twin Pink, but then we took the Twin Pink off and we've been going by Pink and Blu ever since."
Having her sister Blu on the team is an added advantage, Pink believes. With that special twin sister bond, Pink senses the two siblings have a feel for each other's game that is uncommon with other teammates.
"Sometimes I think she knows what I'm thinking," Pink Jones said. "If we're out there together, I know where she's going to be, and she knows where I'm going to pass the ball."
The strong bond between twin sisters isn't Fayetteville's only edge. Pink Jones also credits a family atmosphere among the entire team as a difference in helping the Lady Bulldogs reach their goals this season.
"As long as we keep playing hard and keep playing as a family, we'll go further than we did last year," Jones said. "If we didn't mesh together off the court, we wouldn't play as well together on the court.
"But we spend a lot of time together outside of basketball. We learn our strengths and weaknesses better, and that makes us better as a team."
Sports on 01/20/2015