Now fully recovered from a torn ACL, Monroe College point guard Shania “Shorty” Johnson is having a phenomenal season. The Mustangs are 6-2, and Johnson’s powerful offensive presence—she’s averaging 20.8 points per game—has been a big part of the team’s success. She is also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3 steals per game.

“The team is doing well; everyone is contributing,” said coach Garfield Johns, who is in his second season with the Mustangs. “We’re playing at a high level right now, and we haven’t even grazed the surface of how good we can be.”

He added, “Shania came into the season in shape and with an underdog mentality. She’s been a great leader for us on and off the court. She’s a great student in the classroom. Just a relentless attitude to persevere and win.”

Johnson credits the staff at Monroe for helping her through her knee injury. They not only helped her rehab but also kept her spirits high.

Monroe is a four-year college, but its athletic programs compete against two-year colleges. This year is Johnson’s second year of playing, so she’s on the lookout to finish her last two years of playing eligibility at another four-year college. Although only 5-foot-1, her tenacious skills are garnering attention from Division I and II schools. Johnson said she doesn’t necessarily have a wish list of schools, but she does hope it’s somewhere warm.

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was little and I’ve always been the smallest one on the court,” said Johnson, who loves dribbling the ball and has developed a few flashy point guard moves. “Everyone always says, ‘You’re five-one, but you play like you’re six feet tall.

“I’m really fast. I just play like a tall person.”

Johnson said she’s shy by nature, but she is becoming a more vocal leader. Johns said being vocal doesn’t come naturally to her, but he saw how she was able to influence her friends and bring everyone together.

“I told her she needs to bring that personality to the court,” Johns said. “That’s what she did. She was able to help pull our team together. She’s OK with being direct. She’s taken that role and become an extension of me, getting people on the right page.”

The Mustangs are on the road this weekend, playing two games in Maryland.