Johnson sparks Harrison Central to 67-62 win

LYMAN -- Keyshauna Johnson scored a team-high 16 points, including the go-ahead basket with 4:14 left in regulation, as Harrison Central turned back Bay High 67-62 Tuesday in girls high school basketball action at HCHS.

The victory pushed the Red Rebelettes to 2-3 as they get ready for a Class 6A showdown with Brandon on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in the Harrison Central Thanksgiving Tournament. Bay (4-3) had a four-game winning streak snapped.

"The one thing we talked about was that we have to play with intensity," Harrison Central girls coach Nancy Ladner said. "When we went out for the fourth quarter, we said that it was just like the first quarter -- all tied up. We told them that if we didn't play with intensity, we wouldn't get this game."

Johnson, a junior guard/forward, scored eight points in each half. Her steal and layup with 4:14 left in the game gave HCHS a 59-58 lead. Sophomore guard Chyna Allen followed with a trey and HCHS never trailed again, although Bay cut the lead to 63-62 with 1:02 left on a Jamaya Galloway layup.

Senior Adyn Strickland added 15 points and Allen 13 for the Red Rebelettes. De'Asia McInnis pulled down 7 rebounds and Da'Mai Henry grabbed 6 rebounds.

Senior guard Aerion Dority paced Bay High with 22 points, including two 3-pointers. Twelve of her points came in the second half. Five-foot-9 freshman Dasha Barnes came off the bench to score 14 points in the paint while Galloway had 11 points and 7 assists. Amari Pittman grabbed 9 rebounds to go with 6 points.

"They turned it up," Ladner said. "We're playing as a team. We've gotten off to a rocky start. I have a lot of players who are trying to find their way. I think they are playing together. I think everyone has accepted their roles and is going out there and doing their part. The intensity is there, and I thought it was the difference tonight."

Harrison Central led 16-13 after one quarter but Bay had an 11-point run in the second quarter to build a 36-31 halftime lead. The game was tied six times, including 49-all after three quarters.

Dority's layup gave Bay its last lead at 58-57 with 4:56 left, but then Johnson came up with her steal as HCHS took command.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Johnson sparks Harrison Central to 67-62 win ."