Big East honors Jones for breakout game

Posted Jan 25, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Jan 25, 2010 at 06:00 PM

USF junior G Dominique Jones remained a hot topic of conversation in basketball circles Monday, two days after he set a USF single-game scoring record with 46 points in Saturday’s 109-105 overtime win at Providence.

Jones was named Big East player of the week Monday for breaking Charlie Bradley’s school-record 42 points against Florida State 27 years ago.

Jones’ effort Saturday marked the third-best scoring game by an NCAA Division I player this season, topped only by a 51-point outing by Arkansas G Rotnei Clarke, and a 49-point game by BYU’s Jimmer Fredette. Clarke, Fredette and Jones each set a school record for points in game.

Clarke’s 51-point game came in a 130-68 win over Alcorn State in Arkansas’ season opener on Nov. 13. Clarke set a SEC record with 13 3-pointers. In BYU’s 99-69 win at Arizona on Dec. 28, Fredette hit 16 of 23 shots, including 9 of 13 3-pointers. He also finished with nine assists and seven rebounds.

In his headline-grabbing performance, Jones hit 15 of 23 shots and 14 of 18 free throws. He also 10 rebounds and eight assists. His 46 points fell just two shy of the Big East single-game record held by former Providence G Eric Murdock, who scored 48 in 1991 against Pittsburgh.

Here’s another Murdock connection to remind anyone not familiar with the former NCAA steals leader how good of a player he was in college: When Fredette scored his 49 points at Arizona, he broke the McKale Center scoring mark as well, which was 45 points and set by—you guessed it—Murdock in 1990 when the Friars traveled there to face Arizona.