By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Allison Jones has returned to the same basketball court where she had so much success as a high school player.
Jones, who was elected to the Walk of Fame in 2003, was recently hired as the Washington Pam Pack girls basketball coach. The former Allison Bron is a 1991 graduate of WHS.
Jones was the Washington Daily News Girls' Basketball Player of the Year in 1991. She earned the team's Most Valuable Player award her senior season after averaging 17 points, 9.5 rebounds, five steals and four assists per game.
Jones, who earned four letters in basketball, averaged 10 points and five rebounds her sophomore season, before increasing that to 14 points and seven rebounds as a junior.
Jones, who had previous coaching stints at West Craven, Fuquay-Varina and D.H. Conley, said it was special to hold her first practice inside the same gym where she became a star.
Jones, who played for Donald Gibbs in her four years at Washington, is excited about her new position. She already has the Pam Pack off to a 2-0 start, just one win shy of the team’s win total (3-20 overall, 1-13 in Coastal Conference play) from last year.
The Pack won the Northside Tip-Off Classic championship to start the season.
Jones, the daughter of Gary and Linda Bron, is basically taking a starting-from-scratch approach with the season.
Jones, who earned Class 3-A Colonial All-Conference selection three straight seasons, led the Pam Pack to a 71-28 record during her playing days. That included two sectional final appearances, one conference championship and three second-place finishes.
Jones said part of her success came because of discipline, which is something she wants her players to have this year.
The first-year coach and former standout at Elon College (now Elon University), where she graduated in 1995, plans to stress fundamentals throughout the season.
Jones, who has a Masters Degree in Sports Administration from East Carolina University, will return to the court Tuesday when the Pam Pack plays at Williamston High School. Washington will play at Northside Friday before playing its home opener Dec. 4 against Williamston.
While Jones is excited about her first home game, she’s not looking ahead — the same approach her team has taken this year.