Marchelle Jones joins her sister at Xavier
July 24, 2008

NEW ORLEANS — Marchelle Jones, a three-sport standout at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, La., has signed a women's basketball scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Jones, the ninth to sign with Xavier for 2008-09, will join her sister, Danielle, on the roster. Danielle Jones averaged 5.1 points in 34 games as a freshman forward for the Gold Nuggets this past season. It will be the first time since the early 1980s that the Nuggets have sisters on the roster.

Marchelle Jones, a 5-foot-4 guard, averaged 15 points and five assists per game as an Episcopal senior in 2007-08. She was second-team All-State in Class 2A and the District 8-2A most valuable player and defensive MVP. She earned honorable mention on the Academic All-State team.

Jones was a four-time All-District 8-2A selection and three times received honorable mention on All-State teams. Episcopal reached the semifinals of the state playoffs her sophomore and junior years.

In outdoor track and field Jones was the 2A state champion in the 400-meter dash as a freshman and was part of five state-champion relay teams, including the 1,600 relay each of the past three seasons. She helped the Knights win 2A state team championships in 2008 and 2005.

Jones also played volleyball and was a member of Episcopal teams which won Division IV state championships in 2005 and 2006.

Jones' aunt, Kay Williams, played basketball for the Nuggets from 1977-81 and was an NAIA All-District 30 selection her senior year. An uncle, Walter Williams, played three games at running back for the NFL's Green Bay Packers in 2004-05.

The last time the Nuggets had sisters on the roster was when senior Lucinda Joshua and freshman Lois Joshua helped Xavier earn a share of the first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship in 1981-82.

Xavier has five from the Baton Rouge metropolitan area: the Jones sisters, sophomore guard Shayla Boyd (Gonzales, La./St. Amant High School), sophomore forward/center Johnna Williams (Prairieville, La./Dutchtown High School) and freshman guard SiMon Franklin (Baton Rouge/St. Joseph's Academy).

Xavier, an NAIA Division I school, was 27-7 this past season and won the GCAC Tournament. The Gold Nuggets qualified for the national tournament for a school-record seventh consecutive time.