Johnson keys run by Vulcans

Thanks in large part to Lindsay Johnson’s versatility, experience and leadership, the California (Pa.) University women’s basketball team has qualified for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight tournament — three wins away from a national championship.

Johnson, a 6-0 junior guard and team captain from Springfield High in New Middletown who can play inside and outside, helped California to three straight wins in the NCAA East Regional tournament held at Indiana (Pa.) University, to qualify for the Elite Eight meet that will begin Wednesday at the University of Nebraska-Kearney in Kearney, Neb..

Coach Darcie Vincent’s Vulcans (26-6) will face a big challenge in their opener Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the third game of the day, going up against undefeated Delta State (32-0), which won the South Region.

But California knows how to win the big games under Vincent, who is in her eighth season at the helm with an outstanding 211-46 record. She guided the Vulcans to their third straight East Regional title this year, after also having led them to the NCAA Div. II national championship in 2004.

Johnson, who can do almost anything well on the basketball court, likes the fact that she is versatile and can contribute in so many ways and is like a jack of all trades.

“I really enjoy the versatility. It allows me to bring more to the team,” said Johnson, who contributed 46 points and 30 rebounds in the three recent East Regional wins to earn tournament MVP.

She scored 13 points in the Vulcans’ 86-71 win over Shepherd in the East Regional final Monday, after coming up with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in a 68-55 win over Anderson, S.C., Saturday to gain the regional final.

“When [coach] tells me to do something, I will do it. She will tell me before the game what she wants me to focus or concentrate on, depending on our game plan,” said Johnson, the daughter of Mark and Lori Johnson.

Johnson, a two-year captain majoring in psychology, has the statistics to back up her versatility. She ranks third on the team in assists (1.8), fourth in rebounding (5.4) and 3-point-goal percentage (30.4 on 24-for-79), fifth in scoring (9.0) and free throw percentage (66.3 on 53-for-80) and seventh in FG percentage (41.4 on 106-for-256).

“[My] versatility brings value to the team. I don’t have any preference playing inside or outside. I enjoy both spots,” said Johnson. “Toward the end of the season I have been playing mostly inside.”

Her main objective is “to do as much for the team as I can,” and she’s looking for a big win Wednesday.

“The past two years I have been here, we lost in the first round of the regional tournament,” she said.

She also believes she contributes as an experienced leader.

“We have a very young team. Some of the players are very young. We have a few seniors but most of them haven’t been playing a lot. I am really the only one with a majority of playing time,” said Johnson. “This has been my best season so far.”

California tied Indiana in the PSAC West regular-season standings this year at 9-3, but Indiana beat the Vulcans in the PSAC tournament final, 67-63, to also make the East Regional. However, IUP lost in the first round.

California qualified for the East Regional this year by virtue of its regional rankings, just as it did in 2007. In 2006, the Vulcans won the PSAC meet to qualify.

Johnson also had two good seasons before this one. Last season, she played in 31 games, starting 20 of them, and averaged 11.0 points and four rebounds with 64 assists, 29 steals and seven blocks.

As a freshman, she played in 29 games, starting three of them, and averaged 6.0 points and 1.6 rebounds with 16 assists, 10 steals and five blocks.

Before that, she had a terrific career at Springfield under coach Sandi Kohler, who has high praise for her protege.

“When she played for me, she was a scorer, a great rebounder, very athletic and played defense and she was the kind of kid who would do anything you asked her to do and not say a word,” said Kohler. “Plus, she is tall and can play inside and outside.”

Kohler said she knew that Johnson was special, and that California also realized it early in her career there.

“I went down there for a team camp after Lindsay went there as a freshman, and they just loved her and asked if we had any others like her,” Kohler said.

X John Kovach covers colleges for The Vindicator. Write to him at kovach @vindy.com.