After a back and forth first half, momentum took a major swing in the Washington Huskies’ direction when sophomore guard Koren Johnson hit a buzzer beating three-pointer just before halftime to give coach Mike Hopkins’ team a 40-38 lead over the Stanford Cardinal. The buzzer beater capped off a 17 point first half for the product of Garfield High School in Seattle as the Huskies cruised to an 85-65 victory.
Johnson didn’t slow down in the second half, setting a new career-high with 30 points while shooting 12/18 from the floor and 6/10 from behind the three-point line. He also added 4 assists and 3 steals, but wasn’t the only member of Hopkins’ squad who impressed on Thursday.
The Pac-12’s leading scorer Keion Brooks Jr. put together 20 points and 5 rebounds, including a handful of highlight reel dunks, while center Braxton Meah also contributed with 13 rebounds, one short of his career-high which he set in January against Arizona State. The conference’s leader in assists, guard Sahvir Wheeler also turned in an impressive performance, adding 14 points and 8 assists to the box score.
Keion Brooks Jr. lives at the rim 😮💨
Back-to-back slams for the senior. pic.twitter.com/GVCUXYju6k
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) February 16, 2024
The win moves Washington to 6-8 in conference play and 14-11 on the season. With a matchup against Cal on Saturday, the Huskies have a chance to get back on track with six games remaining in the regular season. If Hopkins’ squad can find a way to get back on track, it may still have a fighting chance of making its way into the NCAA Tournament.