Rohan Johnson smiled shyly after being showered with compliments from teammates on Saturday.
After Texas Tech's win over TCU, the freshman guard sat at the podium, but one Jasmine Shavers couldn't help but say Johnson had his hands full.
“This is Lohan's first year, and you can see her growth with each match,” Shavers said. “I always tell her, 'Be yourself. Be aggressive. It's going well,' because she's doing great. She's key for us in every game. I’m so proud of her because she is.”
What followed was a moment of humbling gratitude. Johnson thanked Shavers before continuing the game, just as Shavers took some time to adjust in the 71-65 win. It was Johnson's first start and he scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
“Once we settled down and realized the situation, I felt like there was more urgency on both sides of the ball,” Johnson said. “We were able to be aggressive and get some really good views at the rim.”
Johnson's aggressiveness is part of the reason the Houston native has settled into the starting lineup. She showed her spark in her previous game against Houston, scoring a career-best 15 points off the bench and hitting the free throw line seven times. Johnson played a career-high 27 minutes, tying his total against TCU.
She will be tough to contain given the freshman's trend of averaging 12 points over the past three games.
“I think Rohan gives us great energy,” Lady Raiders coach Krista Gerlich said. “She really gives us mismatches on the perimeter. Her body is strong enough that she creates mismatches against certain defenders, but her quickness is really explosive. Her confidence is growing more and more. “I think she's there. I knew that. She's going to be able to play full-court defense the way we wanted her to, but she's really starting to understand the offensive part now.”
Tech's offense performs best when multiple players are involved. Shavers (19) and Johnson were among four players to score in double figures against TCU. This game also marked the third consecutive time that the starting lineup has been different, and the fourth time in the past five games that the starting lineup has been different.
Gerlich said internal competition will keep the team from becoming complacent. Johnson certainly isn't.
“I just had to be patient with myself and accept that challenge,” Johnson said. I'm always thinking, “What can I do better? How can I improve? What can I do next time?”
“I feel like I'm finally starting to realize that. I'm very happy. But I know I can't get complacent. I have to keep working hard and stay hungry.”
