Twenty-two years.
Before Loyola’s 88-75 victory over then-No. 15 DePaul on Dec. 21, that’s how long it had been since the Ramblers’ women’s basketball team defeated its North Side rival.
One of the primary reasons for Loyola’s success that night was the play of redshirt junior Taylor Johnson, a 5-foot-7 guard.
The 2012 Lincoln-Way East graduate scored a game-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting as the Ramblers picked up their second victory over a ranked opponent in program history. That helped Johnson earn Missouri Valley Conference’s Player of the Week honors.
“I’ve been the Player of the Week in the Horizon League before but not in the Missouri Valley,” Johnson said. “This means a lot because of my hard work and dedication.
“I’ve been playing pretty well and I thought I had a good chance of getting it.”
Johnson, who has played both point and shooting guard, is second on the team in scoring (13.5 average), first in assists (45) and steals (27), and third in rebounds per game (4.3).
“I think I’m a good leader and I lead by example,” Johnson said. “I work hard and I’m also good at going to the basket, making my shots and also getting shots for my teammates.
“I’ve just practiced a lot and I put up extra shots when I’m working on my own. I do extra days to work on my jump shot and become more consistent. And I take pride in my assists because I like to help other people get going as well. I like to penetrate and kick to my teammates.”
More Top Picks Best Electric Mountain Bikes
Johnson became the 23rd player in Loyola women’s basketball history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau on Dec. 28. Through the first 75 games of her career, she has 1,038 points.
“That also means a lot to me,” Johnson said. “I had an ACL injury my sophomore year and I didn’t play for a year. This is a huge deal for me.
“(Reaching 1,000 career points) came on a jumper in the second quarter. I knew it would be an early shot and I was trying to focus on the game. I wanted to just stay in the flow of the game and not force it because I knew the 1,000th point was coming.”
Division III All-Americans: North Central senior offensive lineman Eric Knaperek (Lincoln-Way North) and Benedictine junior defensive back Jarrett Lecas (Lincoln-Way East) were named to the American Football Coaches Association’s Division III All-America Team.
Knaperek, the Cardinals’ right guard, also was named to the Associated Press Little All-America Second Team, which recognizes the top players in Division II, Division III and the NAIA. Lecas finished with 45 tackles, six passes defended and four interceptions this season.
All-CCIW football: Carthage linebacker K.J. Simpson (Eisenhower) and Knaperek was named to the All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin First Team.
Named to the Second Team were Illinois Wesleyan defensive back Kevin Slawkowski (Lincoln-Way East), North Central linebacker Justin Stuursma (Chicago Christian), Millikin defensive lineman Adam Rosner (Lincoln-Way North) and Augustana wide receiver Sean Fitzgerald (Providence).
Mike Walsh is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.