(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) MAGIC JOHNSON: Hun School freshman forward Johnnah Johnson flies to the basket on her way to a 27-point effort last Thursday in a 57-34 win at Pennington. Johnson added 12 rebounds to achieve her third double-double of the season for Hun, which improved to 4-0 with the victory. Hun plays at Notre Dame on December 17 before going on a holiday hiatus.

Hun Girls’ Hoops Is Coming Together Quickly, as Freshman Forward Johnson Finds a Home

Bill Alden

As one of eight newcomers to the Hun School girls’ basketball program this season, Johnnah Johnson felt out of place at first.

“I missed home,” said freshman Johnson, a Blackwood, N.J. native who is boarding at Hun. “It was tough in the beginning for us to start working together as a team.”

For Johnson and her teammates, starting the season by playing two games in Maryland and staying overnight there helped things come together.

On the court, Hun topped McDonogh School 40-38 and then beat Roland Park 44-35. Off the court, the team got a better feel for each other.

“The Maryland trip helped us because we got to bond,” said Johnson. “We got to celebrate after winning games. We pushed each other along the way.”

Last Thursday, Johnson and her teammates got to celebrate again as they went to the Pennington School and pulled away to an impressive 57-34 victory in improving to 4-0.

The 6’1 Johnson was a force in the paint, scoring a game-high 27 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.

While Johnson’s tenacity and a remarkably polished inside game for a freshman were exceptional, she wasn’t satisfied with her performance.

“I had some good looks but I did miss a lot of shots,” said Johnson, who now has three double-doubles on the season. “I think I need to keep working. I can get a lot better.”

With Hun coming off a disappointing 9-14 season, Johnson believes things have already gotten better for the program just two weeks into the season.

“Looking at last year’s record, they didn’t win a lot of games,” said Johnson. “This year we are 4-0 so that is a good start for the team.”

Hun head coach Bill Holup believes that the successful trip to Maryland laid the foundation for his team’s torrid start.

“I was certainly expecting tough competition down there and I wasn’t sure how we would respond to it, traveling three hours away and playing on their courts,” said Holup.

“I couldn’t be happier with sneaking out of Baltimore with two wins against two quality opponents. Hopefully that set the tone for the season. So far the defense has been terrific.”

Against Pennington, the Hun defense was stingy as the Raiders yielded only 13 points in the first half and 22 points through three quarters.

On offense, the Raiders displayed an inside-out punch with Johnson dominating down low and guards Jackie Mullen and Ashley Ravelli lighting things up from the perimeter.

“I didn’t think that they had anyone who could match up with Johnnah so we wanted to attack and go inside more,” said Holup.

“If you are able to score inside the paint then it opens things up on the perimeter. The girls are so unselfish; it makes it much easier for them to get along and to be able to get open shots when they work together. They are all learning together, being so young and developing. It is very enjoyable.”

Holup is certainly enjoying seeing the immediate impact being made by the precocious Johnson.

“Johnnah is a tremendous athlete and basketball player,” said Holup. “I just don’t want her to rely on her athleticism to grab rebounds and things like that. She has to keep working on it. She is young so has to continue to learn the game.”

Johnson has some good role models in junior guards Mullen and Ravelli. “I think she has some very good guard in Mullen and Ravelli to help her along the way,” added Holup, who got 11 points from Mullen in the win over Pennington with Ravelli chipping in 9.

“Jackie and Ashley are interchangeable in terms of who brings the ball up the court and who plays shooting guard. They are both comfortable in either position. It really helps out to have two quality ballhandlers who can shoot.”

In Holup’s view, his team is reaching a collective comfort level. “Most of them worked out in the fall and they got to know each other,” said Holup, whose team plays at Notre Dame on December 17 before going on a holiday hiatus.

“A good number of them live on campus so they are together all day, all night. It really helps; they are all in the same situation. They have study hall at night; they eat in the dining hall together. You really learn about people when you are living with them. They are really growing together it really helps the overall team unity.”

Johnson, for her part, feels like she has found a home at Hun. “I am feeling a comfort level,” said Johnson. “My best friend is Courtney Caldwell (freshman guard) and she lives next door. We do have a lot of talent on the team and we are working together as it should be.”

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