Freshman Liv Johnson shows she's 'next level' in Carmel's win over Maine South

With Carmel leading by five, freshman forward Liv Johnson caught the ball with an opportunity to put the game out of reach.

She looked at the basket but didn’t drive immediately. She paused, surveying the defense. Saddled with two fouls, Johnson saw that Maine South’s defense was loading up on her in the paint.

So instead of forcing the issue, she made a midrange jumper that all but sealed Carmel’s 52-40 victory at the Dave Yates Chicagoland Showcase at Fremd.

Johnson looked the part of a high-major Division I prospect.

“Liv is next level,” Carmel coach Ben Berg said.

That basket highlighted Johnson’s growth. She had attacked for much of the game, using her athleticism to drive past defenders and finish at the basket. But at a critical juncture, she slowed the game down, processed how she was being guarded and adapted.

“They wanted to speed us up,” said Johnson, who had 20 points and nine rebounds.

“When we slowed down and had our heads up, we made good decisions.”

But in the second quarter, Johnson needed her teammates to pick her up after she picked up her second foul with four minutes to go in the half.

The Corsairs were tied with Maine South but now were without their best player. But they held things together and went into halftime trailing only 23-21. Instead of collapsing, the group held steady.

Senior Maron Bowes was a force on the glass, grabbing six rebounds, and junior guard Maliyah Mays scored 15 points.

“It’s great seeing everyone step up,” senior guard Josie Hartman said.

Hartman was key in Carmel (6-1) staying in the game.

She’s a four-year varsity player who controls the tempo for the Corsairs.

The Hawks are a tricky opponent for any team because they constantly switch their defensive coverages.

Maine South started in man but switched to zone and multiple presses to try to rattle Carmel.

But even against a constantly changing defense, the Corsairs never gave in to the pressure and were able to get quality shots, and Hartman was vital in that.

“The biggest thing [for us] was to slow down and see what’s open,” said Hartman, who had 11 points.

The Corsairs’ defense was stingier in the second half.

After allowing Maine South to go 5-for-5 from three-point range in the first quarter, the Hawks made only two threes the rest of the way.

Carmel started going over screens and being ready at the catch point to defend Maine South’s guards.

The Hawks scored only six points — all by junior guard Gianna LaVecchia — in the fourth quarter.

Johnson was stellar down the stretch, going to the free-throw line or converting at the rim.

She scored six points in the fourth as the Corsairs pulled away.

In the first half, Johnson had mesmerized the crowd with her explosiveness on drives.

When she caught the ball in the middle of the zone, there wasn’t much the Hawks could do to stop her from getting to the rim. But even more impressive was how she didn’t let her first-half foul trouble alter her approach.

She didn’t wilt; she adjusted.

“[Johnson is] always like that,” Hartman said.

“It’s great to see her find the open shots and be aggressive.”