Jones drops 20, Nasinec dominates interior in Puyallup’s 62-47 win over Rogers
Surrounded by friends and family donning purple and gold caps with his No. 24 front and center, Drew Jones shared hugs, photos, and words with an entourage of dozens ahead of Tuesday night’s game in Puyallup.
The star guard fought emotions, one of four seniors recognized in a pregame Senior Night ceremony. By then, premium seating was in short supply thanks to a lively Vikings Marching Band, rowdy student section, and packed crowd for Puyallup’s regular-season home finale with rival Rogers. High school basketball environments don’t get much better.
“I’m part of the leadership program,” Jones said. “We do a lot to get the fans to the games. Just hitting shots and hearing the fans with us is a great moment.”
And his own cheering section for every bucket?
“It meant everything,” he said. “It’s great to win with all of your family and friends here. Just a surreal moment, for sure.”
It was only right for Jones to put on a show worthy of a sellout. His first pair of shots didn’t fall, but Jones flipped a switch and scored from anywhere he wanted — pull-up jumpers from midrange, quick flashes to the rim, and contested three-pointers from beyond the arc. His early surge pushed Puyallup’s lead to double-digits by the second quarter.
“He’s been a force here for the last couple of years, and he’s really coming into his own,” Vikings head coach Kevin Olson said. “He’s a heck of a player, heck of a leader for us.”
Jones finished with 20 points, junior post Will Nasinec dropped a game-high 21 points, and Puyallup retained momentum for a 62-47 win over the Rams.
“It’s just nice having (Drew) on the floor,” Olson said. “When things break down, he goes and makes things happen.
“Good teams have to have guys who can do that, and we have Drew.”
An exciting, back-and-forth rivalry for eight minutes, Rogers’ shooters went cold in the second quarter while Jones pushed the pace and Nasinec dominated the interior. Ball movement looked easy for Puyallup, which coasted into intermission with a 10-point lead.
“(I liked) the way we moved the ball,” Jones said. “We saw our matchups, who had the better matchup. They were a little smaller, so we got the ball to the post a lot. That’s how we won the game… getting buckets at the rim.”
Puyallup defenders rejected Rogers at the rim, considered a top priority after after the Vikings dropped their first league rivalry of the season at Emerald Ridge, 65-52, on Jan. 24. Olson deemed the loss a “reality check.”
“That was a refocus all week, was playing better defense,” Olson said. “Being more physical, getting the rebounds. And I thought we did a much better job today in this game… that really was the difference for us.”
Rogers point guard Treyshawn Weatherspoon directed the Rams, a true floor general with impressive handles that created uncontested looks. The 6-foot-1 senior dropped eight points in the first quarter, including a pair of treys, and finished with a team-high 13.
Puyallup wing Mason Sonntag scored 12 points, an interior force on both ends. Vikings guard Lawson Looker added five.
The Vikings (16-4, 8-1) retain control of their destiny for the No. 1 seed entering next week’s 4A SPSL tournament, and would clinch home-court advantage with a win at Curtis on Thursday night.
“We want more home games,” Olson said. “We want to play here, and we’ve got to keep winning to get those opportunities in the league (and) district tournament.
“We’re just focusing on trying to get to the league championship right now. That’s the goal, and then we’ll go for the next.”
BOX SCORE
RHS: 17-8-12-10—47
PHS: 18-17-15-12—62
Scoring: (P) Nasinec 21, Jones 20, Sonntag 12, Looker 5, Mburu 2, Richardson 2; (R) Weatherspoon 13, Sanders 9, Gilderhus 6, Grant 6, Draper 5, Avary 3, Medford 3, Simmons 2
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 10:43 PM.
