The junior guard made the big plays and the big shots last week to propel the Spartans to their first-ever CIF State Northern Regional final.

Seeded third in Division IV, Lathrop held off three opponents at home to set up its match-up with top-seeded Faith Christian.

Whether or not the shot was falling, Ray was impactful on both ends of the court, averaging 12 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals.

“Jaleiyah has grown into a very versatile player for us,” Lathrop coach Dwayne Davis said. “She’s a very good one-on-one defensive player, and when everyone is focusing so much attention on our post, I call her name and say, ‘Go get the ball.’

“She can blow by most defenders  and score off the dribble but has a good range from 3. She’s also strong enough to battle inside and get you 8-10 rebounds. She’s had an outstanding season.”

It was in crunch time when her presence was truly felt last week.

In the opening-round thriller against 14th-seeded Hillsdale of San Mateo on Tuesday, March 3, she rattled in the second of two free throws with three-tenths of a second remaining in overtime of a 43-42 win.

This was a game where she otherwise struggled with her shot, scoring just six points but contributing nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Ray found her shooting touch two nights later, scoring 18 points while making 3 of 4 from behind the arc and 5 of 7 free throws against No. 6 University Prep from Redding. She also had seven rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block.

Her big moment came in the final minute when she grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw, and was fouled while attempting to burn some time off the clock. Ray made both free throws to seal the 49-42 victory.

On Saturday, she made a clutch 3-pointer with 1:44 remaining to give Lathrop a four-point lead. The Spartans went on to knock off No. 10 Benicia, 52-48. Ray finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and two steals.

Lathrop’s run came to an end Tuesday in Yuba City, with Faith Christian moving onto the state final with the 61-46 win. Ray kept her team in it throughout, making four 3s en route to scoring 15 points to go with five rebounds and two assists. That Spartans capped their historic campaign with a 33-2 record.