PHILADELPHIA--There were few empty seats inside West Catholic’s gym on Friday evening, and the upset-minded, frenzied home crowd was on the verge of eruption following six straight points from the Burrs that knotted the score at 31 early in the third quarter.
In other words, Diamond Johnson had them exactly where she wanted them. Johnson scored 18 of her game-high 40 points in that third frame, including 12 during a crucial 20-5 run that saw a tie score balloon to a 15-point Neumann-Goretti advantage in the blink of an eye. The Burrs never got back into it, and the Saints left with a convincing 72-54 win.
After hitting consecutive three-pointers that stretched the lead to 51-36, a joyful Johnson backpedaled down the court grinning ear-to-ear, tongue hanging out like Michael Jordan for added effect. The senior Rutgers recruit, who also added 12 steals and 7 assists, was completely in her element.
“I love road games when it’s packed, love playing in front of big crowds,” Johnson said. “I know the more that I score, the madder the fans will get and the more trash they’re going to talk. It was definitely a lot of fun. West is a good team, and they came out very aggressive, so we had to match the energy. We adjusted big time in the second half.”
The Saints led by five after one and four at halftime, so it really was anyone’s game until Johnson’s third-quarter takeover. Her defensive intensity was just as impressive, with half of her dozen thefts also coming in the third period, one in which Neumann-Goretti outscored the Burrs 26-13.
NG senior Diamond Johnson scores game-high of 40 points vs. West Catholic (photo by Ed Morrone)
“I definitely take pride in my defense,” she said. “Honestly, I think it’s the best part of my game. Just had to come out strong and put the pressure on them, and we did.”
Both teams entered the contest with 2-0 Catholic League Red records, so it was a crucial game, even so early in the season. Even though she resembled a wrecking ball battering through the Burrs’ defense, Johnson by no means did it all on her own. Sophomore guard Mihjae Hayes had 16 points and 5 steals of her own, registering several big plays on both sides of the ball whenever West tried to key in on Johnson and disrupt her offensive flow.
West Catholic vs. Neumann Goretti Video Highlights by Ed Morrone
Pictured L to R: NG sophomore Mihjae Hayes & senior Diamond Johnson help secure road win against West Catholic (photo by Ed Morrone)
Hayes, expected to step into a starring role next season once Johnson heads to Rutgers, does so many things during the course of a game that don’t show up in the box score, according to head coach Andrea Peterson.
“I tell my kids all the time it’s not always about the points,” she said. “Mihjae does all of the little things right. She can score, but she also brings grittiness on defense and always makes the extra, right pass. She and Diamond work out together, they look up to each other and are a dynamic duo.”
Another boost that Hayes provides is that she can handle the point guard position, allowing Johnson to play off the ball more in hopes of finding more open spots on the floor to shoot. Johnson herself said that Hayes’ presence makes her job that much easier.
“She’s a huge part of our success,” Johnson said. “I told her that when I leave, she’s going to be the face of this team next season.”
For her part, Hayes is just trying to absorb as much knowledge from her more experienced teammate. After all, Johnson is a top-10 recruit nationally in the Class of 2020, so there are few better teachers for Hayes to apprentice under.
“I look up to Diamond a lot,” Hayes said. “If I get down on myself when I’m missing shots, she encourages me to keep going. I know she’s going to leave after this season, so it’s up to me to pick it up so I can take her position. She helps me the most just by always keeping me motivated.”
The one-two punch of Johnson and Hayes will be hard to beat for the Saints, who also got six points apiece from Omoiye Jordan and Sierra Bermudez.
Destiny McPhaul paced West Catholic with 25 points, while Tamiah Robinson added 16. Ciani Montgomery and Daizy Wilson chipped in with eight and five points, respectively.
The victory was an enormous early-season challenge for a battle-tested Saints program, and the team passed with flying colors.
“It’s only going to get harder along the way, not easier,” Hayes said. “As long as we play together and never fold or panic even when we’re down, then we should be good. When we play together as a team while having 100 percent faith in Diamond, we tend to come out on top.”