Claire Johnson 3-Pointers Help Beat Ohio

Claire Johnson and Travis Perry. (Ryan Perry Photo)

CRESTVIEW HILLS — McCracken County senior Claire Johnson is quite the closer.

Kentucky finished Saturday night’s 103-80 win over Ohio with a 20-0 run in the final three minutes that included 16 points by Johnson, a Samford signee. She hit four straight 3-pointers in the run and finished with a game-high 26 points.

“It was there. I’m just gonna shoot it. I missed some earlier but just kept shooting,” Johnson said.  “When they fall, you want to keep shooting.”

Kentucky coach Candyce Wheeler knew what Johnson could do. McCracken eliminated Wheeler’s Butler team in the state tournament semifinals and Johnson had 39 points on 13 of 19 shooting from the field, including 5-for-6 from 3. Johnson averaged 23.1 points per game last season and shot 57 percent overall and 34 percent from 3.

Johnson had a similar finish in the 3-point shooting contest at the Kentucky-Ohio Slam-Jam on Friday night. She not only was the top shooter among the girls but became the first girl to reach the overall final where she went against Kentucky Mr. Basketball Travis Perry of Lyon County.

Perry won the competition 18-16 but Johnson almost caught him because she made her last seven shots.

“Whenever I got to the final rack I got pretty worried when I could hear all the people kind of squealing down there (where she was shooting) from her making shots,” Perry, who had 20 points in Kentucky’s win.  “I guess she ran the final  rack. But I didn’t really know how close she was before then.

“I was probably more nervous whenever they said I was shooting against her. I did not did not want to lose that one.”

Johnson was also focused on what she was doing and did not know exactly how Perry was doing.

“It was pretty neat to compete against him knowing he is Mr. Basketball and is going to Kentucky,” Johnson said. “My first rack was a little shaky but on that last rack I got it going. But he’s a shooter. It was pretty neat just to compete against him. It was just a friendly competition, though.”

Johnson was proud that she was the first girl in the game’s 30-year history to make the overall 3-point final.

“You can tell how the women’s game is progressing lately with Caitlin Clark (of Iowa) and all the girls that have gone to the WNBA,” Johnson said. “It’s gonna keep growing and just being able to be a part of this was great.”

Johnson will not be able to play in the Kentucky-Indiana all-star series because she’ll already be at Samford.

“I wish I could play,” she said. “But what we did at McCracken was really special. We repeated as state runner-up, so that is very memorable. But bonding with everyone was also great and then we had so many great games.”

She’ll likely have plenty more special games at Samford and many believe she should be playing at an even higher level. Johnson admitted she’s not “offended” by those who believe Samford got a steal by signing her.

“I talked to a lot of really good coaches and programs but they (Samford) stuck out to me as the best all-around fit for me,” she said. “I’m interested in sports data analytics.  I like math, so I’m still not 100 percent sure what I’ll do but I like that idea.”

She already knows she will miss McCracken coach Scott Sivills.

“I’ll keep in touch with him. We won’t lose our bond. I’m best friends with his daughter, so I’ll be at his house and will be staying in touch,” Johnson said.