Morris Catholic’s Stella Johnson a big-game player

Although her modest statistics belie her immeasurable talents, Morris Catholic senior Stella Johnson was a big-game player who played at her best when the stakes were most significant.

With 24-3 Morris Catholic winning by an average margin of 28.5 points a game, Johnson, the 2015-16 All Daily Record Girls Basketball Player of the Year, had her playing time limited to one or two quarters a contest but still managed to average team highs of 13.1 points, 4.1 steals and 3.3 assists with 5.7 rebounds. She tied for the team lead with 1.2 blocks to guide the Crusaders to a fourth straight Morris County Tournament title. But it was in the big games that Johnson’s full array of talents were on display.

Her best performance of the season came in Morris Catholic’s most significant game, a 61-57 loss to Saddle River Day in the North Non-Public B semifinal. Johnson rose to the occasion by finishing with 36 points, three more than the state’s leading scorer, Michelle Sidor, put up for Saddle River Day.

“Her average isn’t that high because in most of our games she plays just two quarters,” Morris Catholic coach Rich Fachet said. “She’s a very unselfish player, but when the situation calls for it, she is the best player on the floor. She takes over when there are big games.

“Everyone who has come to see us play, especially in the big games, comes away with a great impression of her. She is a phenomenal player, and if every game that we played in was a big game, she would be the best player in the state. Her stats are deceiving, but she could easily have been a 1,000-point scorer.”

When seeing Johnson in action, the first thing readily apparent is her ease on the floor whether playing defense, rebounding or scoring.

“Stella is an outstanding athlete, and watching her play is worth the price of admission,” Fachet said. “She is so graceful and smooth going to the basket that she makes it look effortless. She makes moves that a normal, experienced high school basketball player doesn’t make. You have to see her to really appreciate her smoothness and athleticism.”

Success wasn’t instant for Johnson, a four-year letter winner in basketball and soccer for the Crusaders.

“As a freshman, it was hard to break into the lineup,” she said. “I really had to work hard to earn my time, and I didn’t play a lot.”

Johnson was sixth man as a sophomore and has been a fixture in the starting lineup since her junior season. She took her limited playing time this season in stride, setting aside her own ego for the good of the team.

“I love to play, and I love to be on the court,” Johnson said. “But when we were able to get a big lead, it opened up opportunities for others who don’t get to play as much.”

Ever the competitor, Johnson, who will play at Rider next season, relished the opportunities in the big games.

“I loved those kinds of games,” she said. “Playing at a fast pace against some of the better teams allowed me to really show how I am as a player. The big games allow us to play harder because they’re so important to the team, the coaches and the program. And we’re able to measure ourselves against a better team. Playing against a better opponent and playing a higher level, I tended to play harder and step up to help my teammates out.”

Johnson, who will pursue physical therapy at Rider, has great memories of her career at Morris Catholic.

“To win four county titles was a special honor for all of us,” she said. “A state championship was our main goal, and I wish that we could have accomplished that. But it was a pretty good career, and it was fun.”