Just because Von Steuben upset Marshall on Nov. 28 doesn’t mean the Panthers are going to rest on their laurels. Von picked apart Thornwood Saturday 61-26, and they beat Prosser and rival Payton earlier this week.
“I’m happy with our defense and we’ve improved tremendously. As a team, we’re coming into each game at another level and we’re building on [the Marshall] win,” said Von guard Alicia Johnson.
Johnson is going to be a key factor for Von down the stretch. She normally comes in off the bench, and Saturday she scored a game-high 15 points. Johnson is only a sophomore, but coach Sha Hobson brought her up a few times last year so she’s no stranger to the varsity level. She's an enthusiastic, scrappy and quick kind of guard, the kind that thrives in the lightning quick offenses that pervade in the Public League.
For Von Steuben to perform well in this marathon of a season, the Panthers’ bench needs to stay sharp and play on all cylinders. And Johnson is going to be the catalyst.