Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFor Le Moyne's Johnson, game-winner was shot of a lifetime
By Conor Orr
Posted: 11/4/09, 2:24 AM EST Section: Sports
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With nine seconds left in regulation and his team trailing by one, the Le Moyne shooting guard took a lob from Durrett Miles and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Dolphins their first-ever victory over Syracuse, sending their in-town rivals into complete shock in what was supposed to be another routine exhibition.
"I don't even know, to be honest," Johnson said, trying to describe the play. "It was sort of a broken down play. I stepped out and I caught the ball and saw the defender was cheated over to the guy on my left, and I saw I had a wing to shoot and I knew I was hot, so I let it fly.
"Good thing it went in."
But Johnson wasn't just a one-hit wonder for the Dolphins Tuesday. While the Orange was sitting in an experimental man defense, Johnson exploited a golden opportunity from beyond the arc, hitting 6-of-13 3-pointers on his way to a team-high 22 points.
"I can't even explain it," Johnson said. "It's the best, the best win I've had in my entire life."
Flanked by a pair of quick guards in Miles and Damani Corbin, Johnson was the benefactor of their slash-and-dish game. When Corbin and Miles beat their defenders to the outside, Johnson was able to set up on the perimeter with plenty of space to fire off one of his 13 tries from beyond the arc.
It started early, while the Dolphins were still just an afterthought in the Orange's mind. With SU coming off an Andy Rautins 3-pointer, Johnson stepped up and answered right away, putting Le Moyne within four points midway through the first.
But it was the second half when Johnson caught fire and eventually cost the Orange the game. He hit his first 3-pointer five minutes into the half, and then hit another 3 a little over a minute later.
Despite the fact the Dolphins had another scorer hitting the 20-point mark - center Laurence Ekperigin - Johnson shot his way right into SU head coach Jim Boeheim's gameplan for that final drive.
As the Orange set up, Johnson was spied on his left by sophomore forward Kris Joseph, and on his right by freshman point guard Brandon Triche. But as the play developed, it was clear something went wrong within the SU defense to give Johnson the open look it was determined not to allow.
When Miles swung the ball left and hit Johnson, SU's Joseph didn't step up from the wing, giving him a wide-open look at a game-winner.
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