Girls Basketball notes: Oswego’s Anna Johnson, a talented goal scorer in soccer, sets steals record in basketball

Anna Johnson is known for her offensive prowess in her spring sport of soccer.

The Oswego senior scored a dazzling 38 goals last season. Johnson routinely put up hat tricks as the focal point of her team’s offense.

Come winter, she apparently knows a thing or two about defense.

Johnson this past week set a school record with 14 steals in Oswego’s win over Johnsburg. That eye-opening number puts Johnson 14th on the IHSA’s all-time list for steals in a game, which had her as surprised as anyone afterward.

“I didn’t realize it was that much,” Johnson said. “I have always enjoyed defense more than offense. I enjoy reading the other team and learning off of them. But I had no idea I had as many steals as I did until my coach told me afterward.”

Johnson’s thievery came in all different shapes and sizes.

The first play of the game, Johnsburg tried to throw it into the middle of the line, and Johnson intercepted it. A few of them, she chased down a girl from behind. She had a couple steals on traps. One in particular Johnsburg tried to throw it past her and with quick hands she came up with it.

“It’s not like she was continually just picking pockets. It was an all-around effort,” Oswego coach Dave Lay said.

It’s the kind of effort that Lay has grown used to seeing from his senior leader in his first year at Oswego. Johnson, unlike in soccer, does not score a ton in basketball. But she is good for a few steals a game, and leads the team in hustle plays like taking charges or “Superman” dives and rolls across the court.

“She’s physically tough, smart, she gets the game, she’s not afraid of contact. She’s just the ultimate competitor,” Lay said. “She’s the type of girl that every coach wants on their team. She’s a leader by example. She’s all heart. The kind of leadership that is not very local but leads by her action.”

Johnson’s defensive mastery almost sounds like a science to hear her talk about it. And yes, her soccer background doesn’t hurt on the hardwood.

“I always try to learn off each play, try to learn what they used in the last play. I look at people’s eyes and their body shape,” she said. “Soccer helps. With soccer you read and predict what they’re going to do, and play off the defender. Also, like soccer, the object is to score and not let others score. The drive for success helps in both.”

Oswego’s success this season has been modest, 6-17 after back-to-back wins last weekend over Johnsburg and Belvidere. But the Panthers have tripled their win total from last year, and Johnson is enjoying herself.

“This is one of my favorite seasons,” she said. “The team chemistry is great and as the season has gone on we have got a lot closer. I feel like we are playing good basketball. We have had a lot of growth. It’s nice to enjoy playing again this year.”

This will be Johnson’s last year of competitive basketball, as she’s committed to play soccer at Lindenwood University in St. Louis. She has discussed with her college soccer coach playing intramural basketball. She’ll miss it, and Oswego will miss her.

“She’s one of those girls you don’t want to lose,” Lay said. “Just as an example of her defensive tenacity – Johnsburg had one player who could knock down 3s, and we said we were going to faceguard her with no help. One of the first possessions Anna switched out. Immediately she owned it, said she shouldn’t have switched and that girl scored one point the rest of the game. It’s a perfect example of who she is. We’re not going to beat teams by outscoring them, we have to beat teams 42-40. We’re not that good a shooting team, but they have bought into what we do and it starts with Anna and her leadership.”

Communities vs. Cancer

The 13th Annual Hoops for Hope: Communities vs. Cancer game between Oswego and Yorkville will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Yorkville. The varsity girls basketball game will be held at 3:30 p.m., followed by the varsity boys game at 5 p.m. The Panthers and Foxes’ “Out for Blood” blood drive will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the Yorkville High School cafeteria. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.