Sharpshooting Sub Puts Dominguez Hills Up Early

He is built like a linebacker and at times his lack of concentration during games has put Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball Coach Dave Yanai into a tizzy.

But there is no doubting Brian Johnson’s ability to shoot the three-point basket, a weapon that the 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior used as a wake-up call for Yanai’s freshman-laden team Thursday night in a 65-46 non-conference victory over visiting Biola University.

With Dominguez Hills trailing, 13-0, with less than five minutes gone, Yanai brought Johnson, who has hit 14 of 26 three-point shots this year, off the bench. He promptly ignited an 18-4 Toro run with the first of three long-range field goals.

And, for good measure, he chipped in a lay-in, albeit an awkward one, off a fast-break pass from Robert Barksdale. The basket staked Dominguez Hills to a 27-19 halftime lead. Johnson went on to score 14 points, four short of his career best.

“I’ve always had the ability to shoot it,” Johnson said of the three-point shot. “It’s just that I get in the doghouse here a lot.”

It has been a long time since Johnson, an All-Bay League guard at Santa Monica High School, has been in the spotlight. He is not known for adept ball handling. Nor is he a defensive expert. Both are traits Yanai relishes and that’s why the veteran coach didn’t pay Johnson much attention when he walked on to the program three years ago after playing efforts at a midwestern junior college and a small Louisiana university backfired.

He is also known to let his mind wander during games. Each game Yanai assigns an assistant coach to harass Johnson, if need be, while he is on the floor.

“Sometimes I kind of drift in and out of the game,” Johnson explained.

Thursday night Johnson kept his mind on the game. Said Biola Coach Howard Lyon: “When you have a guy who can come off the bench and get 11 points in no time, that really picks up the gap right there.”

The victory was the fourth in six games by the Toros (4-7), who show signs of rebirth after getting off to the school’s worst start in its history (0-5). It also was the 190th career win for Yanai. Biola (4-10), once an NAIA power, lost for the eighth consecutive time.

This season Johnson’s leadership and maturity could be an asset. Yanai starts three freshmen and a junior playing in only his third year of organized basketball. The first two men off the bench, until lately, have been sophomores. Only two seniors are on the roster.

“It’s nice to have a guy on the bench like Johnson who can go in there and knock down two or three three-point shots right away,” Yanai said. “He’s a tremendous shooter.”

Dominguez Hills hit just one of its first eight field goal attempts and Biola responded by out-rebounding the Toros, 9-2, to take a 15-3 lead with 14:16 left in the first half.

Suddenly the Lions forgot how to take care of the ball. In the next seven minutes Biola committed seven turnovers. Johnson’s three-point shot at the 12-minute mark cut the Lion lead to 15-11, and then freshman center Vincent Washington put the Toros on top to stay with a pair of free throws at the 7:20 mark, 18-17.

Another three-pointer by Johnson upped Dominguez Hills’ lead to 25-19. Then came Johnson’s awkward lay-in to end the scoring in the first half.