Crenshaw’s Johnson Is Handy With State Berth on the Line

Kristaan Johnson, what was that?

“That was skill, not luck,” Johnson babbled. “That was skill, not luck.”

His point was made, just moments after his point was made. His little buzzer-beating finger roll beat Mater Dei, 63-61, Saturday at the Sports Arena, putting Los Angeles Crenshaw in the State Division I championship.

It was a mad dash, coming after Mater Dei’s Miles Simon missed a 10-footer. Johnson raced up the sideline and took the pass from Rico Laurie.

A second later, it was bedlam. Teammates tried to mob him, but he took off running toward the Mater Dei fans, dancing, skipping, basically having a good ol’ time.

“I thought there was more time on the clock,” Johnson said. “When the buzzer went off, I went nuts. I was so happy. It was skill . . . “

OK, OK.

” . . . I just can’t believe it.”

Pinch yourself, baby.

This was why Johnson, the son of former UCLA standout Marques Johnson, was here. This was why he left Montclair Prep after last year and transferred to Crenshaw.

Johnson, the bulky 6-foot-5 forward, had been a mainstay for the Cougars throughout the season. He averaged 21.3 and 14.4 rebounds.

But Saturday was what they had worked for. This was the moment.

“I came to Crenshaw for the athletics,” said Johnson, a junior. “I came here to get to the State championship game.”

He and Crenshaw have reached that goal and much of the credit goes to him.

He finished with a team-high 17 points. He also had five rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. He did it all in spurts.

Johnson didn’t carry the Cougars throughout, he was just there when they needed him.

He scored Crenshaw’s first seven points, including a layup on an offensive rebound that tied the score, 7-7. But Johnson went to the bench in the second quarter with three fouls.

“Kristaan will disappear like that at times,” Coach Willie West said. “But what he did at the end, he also does quite a bit. That was his third game-winning shot this season.”

But it wasn’t just the final shot. Johnson was there, propping the Cougars up throughout the fourth quarter.

Mater Dei trailed by nine points in the second half, but kept chipping away. Each time they seemed to be over the top, Johnson was there to push them back.

In all, Johnson had 10 points in the fourth quarter, including eight in the final two minutes.

“When he gets inside, he scores,” Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight said. “We lost him a couple times in the fourth quarter. You can’t loose him.”

You also shouldn’t rile him up.

Johnson was called for a controversial intentional foul with 2 minutes 32 seconds left. Simon decided to frame the moment, jumping in Johnson’s face.

“He said, ‘Bye-bye baby, bye-bye baby,’ ” Johnson said.

What’s that about waking sleeping giants, or Cougars?

The two free throws gave the Monarchs a 56-55 lead. Moments later, Johnson slipped inside for a layup.

Mater Dei went back in front, 60-59. Moments later, Johnson was loose again, giving Crenshaw the lead.

“That was money,” Johnson said.

He had enough change left for one last trip up court.

“That was skill,” he said.

Not luck.