Jaela Johnson scored 22 of her 26 points in the second half to help Manual pull away to a 64-47 victory over Male in the Class Act Federal Credit Union Seventh Region girls championship at Valley Saturday.
With her Crimsons leading 43-38 midway through the fourth quarter, the 5-5 point guard hit back-to-back 3-pointers, including a bank shot from the left wing, 32 seconds apart to give her team an 11-point lead with 4:34 remaining. She then hit 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch to help her team grow the lead to its widest and final margin.
“I just played my game,” said Johnson, who also added four assists and three steals in playing all but 20 seconds of the game. “When I saw the open shot, I just took it. My teammate set two good screens, and I got my shots off quick.”
GALLERY: Manual-Male
Despite being just a sophomore, Johnson is the team’s leading scorer at 14.3 points per game and was absolutely huge for her team Saturday, her coach said. After missing all six of her shots in the first half, she made all six in the second.
“She was getting double-teamed, denied all night long,” Manual coach Jeff Sparks said. “And she just kept that poise and just kept the ball in her hands.”
By winning its first regional since 2013, Manual advances to the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Sweet 16, which starts Wednesday at the BB&T Arena in Highland Heights. The Crimsons (21-7), the No. 10 team in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, will play the First Region champion Thursday at noon.
Despite shooting just 25 percent and making only 7 of 18 free throws in the first half, the Crimsons led by three at halftime thanks in part to Male’s foul trouble and the Crimsons’ zone defense that negated the height advantage of the Bulldogs (29-3).
I’liyah Green scored seven points in the first quarter for No. 3 Male, which used those points to take a 12-5 lead with 3:00 left in the period. But after she drew her second foul with 35.9 seconds left in the opening period, the Bulldogs couldn’t find their shot. In the second quarter, they made just 2 of 14 baskets and went 6:54 without a point.
That allowed Manual to climb from a 16-10 deficit to take a 20-16 lead late in the first half despite its own woes.
Manual found its stroke in the second half – converting on 13 of 20 shots – but Male still had issues and finished making just 16 of 59 shots (27.1 percent).
“We kind of knew the zone was coming, but we just didn’t handle it well,” Male coach Champ Ligon said.
Green, who fouled out with 2:22 remaining, finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Despite Male’s size advantage, Manual also outrebounded the Bulldogs 43-40. Tonysha Curry pulled down 13, and West Virginia signee Krys McCune grabbed 11.
| Manual | 10 | 11 | 16 | 27 | — | 64 |
| Male | 14 | 4 | 15 | 14 | — | 47 |
Manual (21-7) – A. Ballard 7, Griffin 5, Curry 10, Johnson 26, Blackford 8, McCune 8.
Male (29-3) – Harbison 6, Sexton 6, Owens 2, Hogan 3, Browning 4, Green 19, Calvert 7.
3-point goals – Griffin, Curry, Johnson 3; Sexton 2, Calvert.
Dr. Rudy J. Ellis all-tournament team – Tonysha Curry, Krys McCune, Jaela Johnson (Manual); I’Liyah Green, Logan Calvert (Male); Mikayla Kinnard (Eastern); Kiki Samsel (Sacred Heart); Davianna Ruff (Waggener); Peyton Evans (Central); Emma Wesley (Christian Academy); Kristen Olinick (Assumption).