Young takes care of business

Updated: June 8, 2011 5:20PM

Young senior guard Kiana Johnson explained it like this: “As a team full of guards, we have to make shots.”

The Dolphins made 12 three-pointers en route to a 76-41 victory over Morgan Park to win the Public League championship Sunday evening at Chicago State’s Jones Center.

“We were ready,” said Johnson, who signed with Michigan State. “We knew that (DePaul-bound guard) Chanise (Jenkins) was playing against her sister (Morgan Park junior Debra Jenkins) and that we needed to come out intense. We have a lot of girls that can play and we think that the best way to get recognition is to be unselfish, because when we win, we all shine.”

For the No. 2 Dolphins (21-2), it was a third consecutive Public League title and sixth in seven years.

It didn’t take long as Young started with back-to-back three-pointers from Chanise Jenkins and Alexis Lloyd (12 points). After Morgan Park closed to within 6-4 on a basket by Gabrielle Richmond and two Kendyl Nunn free throws, a Johnson three-pointer ignited a 7-0 spurt.

The Dolphins closed the first quarter with a 12-3 run that included seven points from Central Florida-bound Bryeasha Blair, who led Young with 16 points, and a Janee Thompson trey.

By halftime, the lead swelled to 48-22 as Michigan State-bound Kiana Johnson scored 11, Lloyd 10 and Young made eight three-pointers.

By the 5:48 mark of the third quarter, the Young lead was 58-25 and the Dolphins had made 10 three-pointers after Johnson (14 points, eight assists) and Chanise Jenkins connected early in the third quarter. The teams played with a running clock in the fourth quarter.

“We have a lot of girls who can shoot and in general, I thought we shot pretty well,” Young coach Corry Irvin said. “I like the direction we’re heading.”

For No, 13 Morgan Park (23-4), Richmond scored 13, and Nunn and Keona Green had 11 points each.

“They are much better than we are,” Morgan Park coach Thomas Johnson said. “They shot extremely well and they have experience that we don’t have yet. But we have a lot of younger kids and we are going to get better.”

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