Lewis guard Jamie Johnson is back on the court after missing almost all of last season with a torn ACL in her right knee.
“It feels great to be playing again,” she said. “It was so tough having to sit last year and not be able to contribute to my team. I’m just so happy that I’m back and I can finish my college career on my terms.”
That chance to go out on a high note is what kept Johnson, a Marian Catholic graduate, determined to come back from the injury and play this season as a sixth-year senior.
“I think a lot of people in that situation would just decide, ‘OK, it’s time to do something different,'” Lewis coach Kirsten Gillespie said. “It speaks volumes to her character that she wanted to come back. She set goals for herself and the program and she wants to see them through.”
Johnson tore the ACL in her left knee in 2012 and took a redshirt for the 2012-13 season. The NCAA granted her a medical redshirt and a sixth year of eligibility after the injury last season, which came after she played in just six games.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to get that chance to play again,” Johnson said. “Once they made that ruling, I was so excited. I just love to play basketball. I was planning on going to graduate school and being a grad assistant, anyway, so to get to play instead, it’s perfect.”
Johnson is showing no sign of rust, averaging 18.1 points for the 8-1 Flyers.
Last season, Lewis finished 28-3 even without Johnson, but was upset in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament by Grand Valley State.
The perfect ending to Johnson’s long journey at Lewis would involve a much longer postseason run.
“I want to win my last game, which would mean a national championship,” Johnson said. “Right now, though, I want to take it one game at a time. I’ve learned to appreciate every game and not take anything for granted.”
Mr. 300: South Suburban men’s coach John Pigatti, in his 11th season at the helm of the Bulldogs, earned his 300th career win with Tuesday’s 74-55 victory over Oakton.
“You make goals depending on how long you want to do this,” Pigatti said. “I knew I didn’t plan on coaching long enough to get 600 or 700 wins, but 300 has been a goal. It feels great to get it.”
The Bulldogs, 11-0 this season, have won twice since, improving Pigatti’s career record to 302-62.
The landmark victory gave the coach a chance to reflect on his time at South Suburban.
“It really does make you look back,” he said. “You think about the wins we’ve had over No. 1 teams and the postseason wins. The best part is in the first 14 hours since the win, I got texts from probably 30 past players congratulating me.”
Showtime: Governors State’s men’s team is searching for consistency after a 3-7 start that includes a pair of last-second losses in the last two weeks.
The Jaguars, though, have shown the ability to put up points in a hurry. They’re averaging 85.6 points, peaking with a 139-132 win over Asbury.
Torrey Oliver (20.6 points per game) and Rich Central graduate Jalen Miller (19.6) have led the way.
“I think we can be a fun team for people to come watch,” Governors State coach Tony Bates said. “We can score on anyone, but we have to find a way to stop teams from scoring.”
Steve Millar is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
