Just six days after the Kankakee boys basketball single-game scoring record was broken, junior forward Ava Johnson nearly toppled the girls’ record in the Kays’ 82-41 Southland Athletic Conference win over Thornwood on Thursday.

Although Johnson’s career-high 41 points came six points shy of tying the record set by Ambranette Storr in 2020, and three points shy of the 44 scored by Lincoln Williams last Friday, her scoring outburst propelled the Kays (8-1, 3-1) to a bounce-back win following their first loss of the season on Monday against Bloom.

“It felt really good,” Johnson said. “I knew we could run the floor in transition and stuff. I was honestly just passing the ball to my teammates and everything, and just getting my point when I can.”

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Kankakee's Ava Johnson, center, looks for an open teammate while Thornwood's Joshlyn Williams, left, guards in a game on Thursday, December 11, 2025. (Nicholas Holstein for Shaw Local)

Those scoring chances came often for Johnson.

The Kays started a bit slowly, trailing 7-0 in the opening minutes, but quickly got on track and led 20-11 by the end of the quarter, thanks in part to 10 points from Johnson.

She added 13 more in the second quarter, a quarter the Kays took 24-5 to carry a 44-16 lead into halftime.

Johnson got to 34 points with 11 more in the third, scoring in double figures for the third straight quarter, before finishing things off with seven points in the fourth to break the 40-point mark.

“Any time you can get that out of a player, you’re pleased,” head coach Kurt Weigt said. “We want her to continue to emphasize being efficient. Get the ball on the block. You don’t always have to shoot 3’s, which she’s capable of doing.

“...But when it goes inside out, and the ball gets moved that way, we can be an awfully good basketball team.”

Kankakee’s passing has been a focal point this season.

Many times, including Thursday, Johnson is the main beneficiary of that unselfish play. But she said the team’s mentality gives them plenty of options.

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter if I score or another teammate scores,” she said. “As long as we’re moving the ball to whoever makes the shot, it really doesn’t matter.”

The Kays racked up 19 assists in the game. Junior Malea Harrison had 10 of them.

The versatile Harrison has stepped up into more of a leadership role as a junior, and said she is happy to impact the team in as many ways as possible.

“I love that I get to lead positively and take my love for the game and pass it down to everybody below me. I love being able to be a good leader and pass the ball around to my teammates,” she said. “I love how everybody is encouraging everybody else to score and passing it around, and then they’re happy for her in that moment.”

Harrison also scored 22 points Thursday to go with three rebounds and a pair of steals.

“She likes to pass it just as much as she likes to score it, I think,” Weigt said. “She’s found herself out in the point guard spot from time to time, too. That’s been good for her, her willingness to step into a role that she hasn’t had in her earlier years of playing basketball.”

Shania Johnson also recorded a double-double for the Kays with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Freshman Jasyia Wesby, sophomore London Stroud and junior LaMaryah Smith saw most of the time at the guard position with starter Ki’Asia Wilson out injured. Stroud had six points and three rebounds, Smith had two points and three rebounds and Wesby had three assists and two steals.

With Wilson expected to miss a bit more time, Weigt said it was nice to work on building up some of that depth on Thursday.

“We want to make sure we’re getting some quality minutes, some playing time and some live ball out of some of these girls,” he said. “All in all, I was really pleased.”

The Kays will host Southland opponent Rich Township on Dec. 18 before closing out 2025 with tournament appearances in the Perspectives Holiday Hoops Classic from Dec. 20 through Dec. 23 and the State Farm Classic from Dec. 26 through Dec. 30.