A 5-foot-5 guard from the south Bronx of New York City, Jones also was known for his defense and playmaking abilities. He apparently wasn't noted for his shooting prowess.
"Everyone tells me his shot was like a turnover," Tonia Jones said with a smile.
Ray's daughter received an assist from former UND men's basketball coach Dave Gunther on that description. "After I graduated, he came up with that one," Ray says of Gunther.
Ray didn't have to shoot a basketball well to make a name for himself at UND. He did so many other things well. His daughter is taking on many similar roles with the UND women's basketball team. The 5-foot-8 point guard is averaging 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
More important, she's a top defender, the team's defensive stopper. Ray was known for his defensive skills, too.
The athletic and quick Tonia, whose solid play has helped lift UND into today's NCAA Division II Elite Eight women's basketball final against Arkansas Tech, says she learned to be a top defender while working against Sioux All-American Jaime Pudenz in practice the past three seasons.
In a semifinal victory against Emporia State on Thursday night, Sioux coach Gene Roebuck called on Jones to guard Hornet All-American Jurgita Kausaite. Though Kausaite scored 23 points, Jones made her work hard for everything and provided a psychological lift for her teammates.
"I love playing defense," Tonia said. "You have to have that kick-butt attitude."
Jones doesn't always play with that approach. Sometimes she's accused of being too nice on the court. But she's become feistier and more aggressive down the stretch, especially during the past four games. Jones had a career-high 18 points in a North Central Region semifinal victory against Augustana College. She also played well in the region championship game against North Dakota State, earning all-tournament honors.
She was at her best again on Thursday night against Emporia State. In 34 minutes, she scored eight points and dished four assists. But half of her point total came in the final 1:54 in a tight game. Ray says he always tells his children that when things aren't going well around them, they have to seize the moment.
Things weren't going well for the Sioux in the final two minutes against Emporia State. Standout Katie Richards fouled out. All-American Jenny Crouse was playing with four fouls.
"You have to step it up," Ray tells his children.
Well, with 1 minute, 54 seconds left, Tonia scored on a put-back for an 82-79 Sioux lead. Then, with 1:08 left, she hit two free throws for an 84-81 lead.
She was getting ribbed by UND President Kendall Baker for the first free throw in the hotel lobby on Friday. It hit iron, popped straight up about 3 feet and dropped in.
"Free throws aren't something I'm noted for, either," Tonia said.
Despite hitting only 55.1 percent of her free throws this year, she came through against the Hornets. And she has had some success from the field, hitting 67 of 150 shots (44.7 percent).
Pleasing to her father is that she worked to get where she's at today. Ray has a key to the Thompson (N.D.) High School gymnasium, and he and Tonia often used it to work on her skills. Roebuck says Tonia's work habits haven't changed at UND, where her off-season workouts go beyond those proposed by strength-and-conditioning coach Paul Chapman.
She's seen what basketball has done for her father, who was raised in the south Bronx in New York City.
"Basketball was my way out of the ghettos,"Ray said."If I wouldn't have played basketball . . ."
If not, he says he doesn't know what would have happened to him. If not, he would have never met his wife, Debby, who was the reason he decided to stay in North Dakota and raise a family after his playing career ended in 1975. Debby, who's from Grenora, N.D., met Ray at UND.
"It's kind of amazing he got out of that whole situation," Debby says.
Like Ray, Debby is a former athlete. She has a trophy to prove it. It came in snowmobile racing.
Growing up in North Dakota, Tonia often has been called Ray Jones' daughter.
"Now my Dad has to get used to people coming up to him and saying, 'Are you Tonia Jones' Dad?' That was fun to hear for me."
Dad doesn't mind.
"I'm so happy and proud of her," Ray said. "Everything she's gotten or will get is from hard work."
Tonia says she plans to continue to work on her shot. She says she doesn't want to be remembered as having a shot that could be confused with a "turnover" in 25 years.