Castle took down North 41-30, while Memorial rallied to knock off Central 55-53 in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals. Kyle Sokeland / Courier & Press
EVANSVILLE – It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jalaya Dowell picked up a basketball at a young age.
Her father, Derrick, was a star player at Bosse and later the University of Southern California, where he averaged 20.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a senior. Her aunt, Cheryl, was a standout in her own right for Bosse and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
The game runs deep in her genes.
“One day the ball was bouncing and I picked it up,” said Jalaya. “Ever since then, I fell in love with the sport. The competition and team camaraderie. I love basketball.”
The impact Dowell makes on the court for Castle has been noticeable since she started receiving significant playing time last year. And her presence on defense pushes Castle to a different level.
Not many teams have the inside presence to attack the rim against Dowell, who stands 6-foot-3. With her commanding the paint, it allows senior Chloe Mills (6-foot-1) and junior Jessica Nunge (6-foot-2) to use their athleticism to guard the perimeter.
The senior is averaging 10 points to go with six rebounds. With multiple scoring options on the team – Castle ranks seventh in the state in scoring – Dowell could do more if the Knights needed her.
“Jalaya has improved a ton,” said Castle coach Bob Meier. “(Thursday), she was about ready to cough up a lung. She was trying to give us some stuff but it was tough. I’m hoping she not on the wrong side of the flu bug.
“She is a good offensive presence and a massive defensive presence for us. Being able to funnel in guards to that kind of size is a nice benefit to have.”
More: Castle, Memorial advance to SIAC championship game
Dowell also had a moment this year that reaffirmed her love of playing the game. She suffered a concussion in November after hitting heads with a teammate in practice and missed five games.
Sitting on the bench helped Dowell see the sport in a different perspective. And in turn ignited something in her once she stepped back onto the court.
“I could see what mistakes my teammates were making and what I would do if I were in the game,” said Dowell. “It showed me how much of a privilege it is to play basketball. When I got back out there, it lit a fire inside me."
Castle, 18-0 and ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, is still undefeated after a 41-30 victory over North in the SIAC Tournament semifinals. The win also set a new school record for consecutive victories.
The Knights have struggled at times in this tournament. But Castle keeps finding a way to win and is gaining in confidence.
“It is just a team effort,” said Dowell. “The coaches help with that. They motivate us every day and tell us we can do it when we don’t believe we can.”
More: Will Castle keep its undefeated record intact through the SIAC Tournament?
Memorial will get the next crack at dethroning the Knights. The Tigers fought their way to the championship with a 55-53 win over Central with senior Grace Lensing netting a career-high 20 points.
But if Memorial wants any shot at winning the title, it will have to establish a tempo early.
“We have to make it a baseline to baseline game,” said Memorial coach Bruce Dockery. “We obviously can’t slug it out with them in the half court. If we get the chance to practice, we’ll try to work on just that.”
The championship tips off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Central.
SIAC Girls Basketball Tournament
Championship game: Saturday, 5:30 p.m at Central High School
Matchup: Castle (18-0) vs. Memorial (11-5)