Johansen bests Downey in MMC matchup

The last two Modesto Metro Conference championships were won by Davis High with a full dose of defense and just enough offense to get by.

Or exactly the way Johansen is trying to stake a claim to the MMC crown this season.

The Vikings completed a perfect run through the first half of the league round-robin Wednesday night by holding Downey to 18 points through three quarters in a 44-35 victory at the Knights' gym.

"Two years ago we were scoring 70 points in games, but where did that offense go?" asked Johansen coach Allan Davis. "You do with what you have, and these kids are very good at playing defense."

These two teams met in December at the Tracy Tournament, with Downey scoring nine first-half points in a 34-25 Johansen win. This time around, the Vikings again held the Knights to nine first-half points.

Yes, Johansen does play very good defense. But it's in a man-to-man, lane-clogging style that leads to a lot of loose balls, diving and body contact.

It ain't pretty.

"That's the game we play," Davis said. "It's an ugly, ugly mess."

But Johansen's record is very attractive and getting prettier every week. The Vikings have won seven straight games and are 6-0 in the MMC, 14-7 overall. The Knights are 12-9, 4-2 and in third place in the MMC behind 5-1 Davis High.

"I don't know the answer sometimes," said Downey coach Doug Streeter. "You just scratch your head and wonder what's next. But we're through the first round and get everybody one more time. We'll see how it goes."

The Knights never found any offensive rhythm against Johansen, which paid particular attention to Josh Allen, Downey's 6-foot-4 leaper.

"We talked about holding Josh to 20 points or under for us to do well tonight," Davis said. "He's a very dynamic, strong scorer."

Allen scored five points on a night in which no Downey player scored more than six.

"We had some shots and they just didn't go in," Streeter said. "We'd grab some rebounds, get them back up to the rim and they would just roll off. Then we tried to make up too many points in one possession. They just have to learn the patience."

Johansen took control by outscoring Downey 11-2 in the second quarter, with Justin Hirschkorn scoring eight of his nine points in that run to give the Vikings an 18-9 halftime lead.

The Knights forced seven turnovers in the fourth quarter to briefly pull within seven points, 35-28, with 2:41 remaining in the game, but the only reason it ever got that close was Johansen's inability to make a free throw.

The Vikings went 14 for 32 at the line, making them 29 for 72 at the stripe in their last two games. Ashur Athneil had seven points at the line in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 13.

"We shoot lots of free throws in practice, but they're tough to make in games," Davis said. "There's a lot of pressure, like standing over a three-foot putt, and I don't make those."

So it's not artistic, this Johansen style. But right now, ugly leads the MMC.

"We're scrappy," Davis said, "and that's how we play."