Gonzaga straps to victory

Ron Bailey, Publisher

December 12, 2007 – Last night in front of a packed Bishop O’Connell (VA) crowd, Gonzaga College Prep downed the home standing Knights 70-62, after being down 29-24 at intermission. Strapping up, or defense, along with patient offense was the turnaround’s key, in this Washington Catholic Athletic Conference rivalry.

Leading that charge was the trio of seniors Cam Johnson (16 points) and Max Kenyi (14 points), along with sophomore Tyler Thornton (10 points).

“I thought we came out a little out of control, we had to settle down” recalled Gonzaga’s coach, Steve Turner afterward. “I told them ‘Alright, the jitters are over, because of the stage and stars are out here. It’s over. Let’s settle down and play.

“The key to us so far this year, is how hard we play defense. In the second half, I told them we had to make more than one stop at as time; we had to make a couple of stops. And we had to execute on offense”.

Cam Johnson (left), defended everyone, including Jason Clark.

That defense, which came via solid man to man and ¾ court 2-1-2 trap schemes. Thornton, who missed much of the first half with foul trouble, immediately set the tempo, guarding O’Connell’s Kendall Marshall (15 points), a fellow sophomore who has committed to the University of North Carolina. Tyler’s defense on the previously hot Marshall – Kendall would only score four points in the second half – was huge, as it caused O’Connell difficulty in launching its offense.

As did Kenyi’s ‘D’ on future Georgetown University guard, senior Jason Clark (13 points); the long armed Max did a good job of forcing Clark – one of the best players in the D.C./Baltimore region – into heavily contested shots. Always the perfectionist, Kenyi, who will attend Harvard next year, was unimpressed by his personal performance, admonishing himself for allowing “too many back cuts” to Clark.

Gonzaga’s Johnson, (i95Ballerz.com’s game MVP), must be also be credited for his play on the defensive end, as he defended at various times all positions on the floor in addition to battling down low, once again displaying the versatility he is known for. Cam, will play football at the University of Virginia next season.

“We took better opportunities to slow it down on the offensive end, and get it (the ball) inside” said Turner of his team’s offensive performance in the second stanza. Guess who was the focus.

“He took his time on the offensive end” shared Turner of Johnson’s contribution. “He allowed us to be a little more patient…We decided let’s run our offense through Cam, and he responded”.

“I just came out and played hard, and tried to motivate my team and play hard with me” said the soft-spoken Johnson of his contributions.

“My coach tries to use my versatility, so our match ups can go accordingly” continued Cam, of his all-around impact. “Wherever I can go, I go”.

Junior Gonzaga big man Ian Hunter (18 points), played in similar fashion, scoring in half court and fast break situations, while also helping Johnson retake the battle of which team was more physical.

The sold out crowd included not only members of the D.C. basketball community, but a number of college coaches, including those from Mt. St. Mary’s, Georgetown (Hunter), NC State (Strickland), Marymount, Penn, Harvard, and James Madison.