University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Lorri Johnson: Pitt's All-Time Leading Scorer in Basketball History
8/28/2019 5:26:00 PM | General
It did not take former Pitt women's basketball coach Kirk Bruce long to realize Lorri Johnson was something special. He first heard her name when she was in tenth grade because she was a local player having grown up in New Castle, Pa.
But it was when he watched her in the AAU circuit he knew he had to have her on his team.
"Lorri was in my opinion, as a younger player, well beyond her years as far as her basketball IQ," Bruce said. "She knew how to make the right passes, she always seemed to be in the right position to get rebounds, she played hard."
According to Bruce, sometimes younger players don't understand how hard you need to play to be a good player, but that was never the case with Johnson. In fact, it was the opposite.
When Johnson was in high school, her energy and determination was clear to Bruce. Even during warmups, she was making sure her teammates knew they were getting ready for a game. And she hated to lose.
"Anytime they ever lost a game she was just beyond herself upset," Bruce said. "She just always wanted to win. She always had that in her that she wanted to win."
It was those qualities that attracted Johnson to coaches and programs far beyond Pitt and Bruce. Johnson was getting recruited by schools all over the country, but it was family that made her want to stay close to home.
"I just wanted to stay close to my family so my family could come see my play," Johnson said. "I could have gone to Hawaii or UCLA, but I wanted my family to come to see me."
Johnson's family didn't just come see her play at Pitt, they also would travel as a group to away games whether it was to Georgetown or Seton Hall, Johnson's family was always there.
"That's the greatest feeling," Johnson said. "When you play ball and you have your family behind you. Beside your teammates, that's all you need."
Johnson also had her teammates behind her. According to Bruce, everyone on the team rallied around her. It did not matter what role they played on the team, they all seemed to gravitate to Johnson because of her personality Bruce first noticed in the small-town high schooler. Bruce wasn't surprised. Johnson was team oriented, so it made sense for her teammates to rally around her.
But, on the court, Johnson may have rallied around her teammates just as much as they rallied around her. Some of Pitt's most dominating wins weren't when Johnson scored the most points. In fact, it was the opposite because she was working to make things easier for her teammates. Even then, her presence on the court was known.
"Unfortunately when you're coaching, you're caught up in the moment and you never really have a chance to think about things as they're happening," Bruce said. "But I think there were moments when the coaches sat there going, 'Wow she's actually dominating this game.'"
One of Bruce's favorite memories of Johnson came across the state against Penn State. The game was in Happy Valley, when Penn State was one of the best teams in the country and rarely lost at home. They had a big crowd there and according to Bruce, they wanted to see Pitt lose.
It was a back and forth game, until the last three or four minutes.
"Lorri just put on a show," Bruce said. "She made three three-pointers in a row, so three consecutive possessions she made a three pointer. And then the ball was out on our baseline and she scored… So she scored 11 points in probably about a little over two minutes to help us win that game."
That is just one of the many stories which shows why Johnson was Pitt's first female student-athlete to have her jersey retired and is now being inducted into Pitt's Hall of Fame.
Johnson is also the all-time leading scorer in both men's and women's basketball. But according to Bruce, her legacy is greater than the points she scored. Her legacy is defined by fighting through the pain and rehab that comes with several knee injuries. Her legacy is being dedicated enough to get through that and still develop her full potential. Her legacy is never giving up.
"This is one of the greatest accomplishments I've ever had," Johnson said. "This is the best. That's all I can say, this is the greatest accomplishment I've ever had throughout my life."
2019 PITT HALL OF FAME
The 2019 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class was unveiled June 13, 2019 by Pitt's Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. The 12-member group is composed of All-Pros, All-Americans and legendary all-time greats.
The 2019 class will receive induction at the Pitt Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Petersen Events Center. On Saturday, Sept. 21, the inductees will be introduced at Heinz Field when the Panthers host UCF. For Hall of Fame Dinner ticket information, contact Executive Director for Signature Events and Donor Experience Allison Rubin by phone (412-648-0345) or email (arubin@athletics.pitt.edu).
For more information of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame, visit pittsburghpanthers.com/halloffame.
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But it was when he watched her in the AAU circuit he knew he had to have her on his team.
"Lorri was in my opinion, as a younger player, well beyond her years as far as her basketball IQ," Bruce said. "She knew how to make the right passes, she always seemed to be in the right position to get rebounds, she played hard."
According to Bruce, sometimes younger players don't understand how hard you need to play to be a good player, but that was never the case with Johnson. In fact, it was the opposite.
When Johnson was in high school, her energy and determination was clear to Bruce. Even during warmups, she was making sure her teammates knew they were getting ready for a game. And she hated to lose.
"Anytime they ever lost a game she was just beyond herself upset," Bruce said. "She just always wanted to win. She always had that in her that she wanted to win."
It was those qualities that attracted Johnson to coaches and programs far beyond Pitt and Bruce. Johnson was getting recruited by schools all over the country, but it was family that made her want to stay close to home.
"I just wanted to stay close to my family so my family could come see my play," Johnson said. "I could have gone to Hawaii or UCLA, but I wanted my family to come to see me."
Johnson's family didn't just come see her play at Pitt, they also would travel as a group to away games whether it was to Georgetown or Seton Hall, Johnson's family was always there.
"That's the greatest feeling," Johnson said. "When you play ball and you have your family behind you. Beside your teammates, that's all you need."
Johnson also had her teammates behind her. According to Bruce, everyone on the team rallied around her. It did not matter what role they played on the team, they all seemed to gravitate to Johnson because of her personality Bruce first noticed in the small-town high schooler. Bruce wasn't surprised. Johnson was team oriented, so it made sense for her teammates to rally around her.
But, on the court, Johnson may have rallied around her teammates just as much as they rallied around her. Some of Pitt's most dominating wins weren't when Johnson scored the most points. In fact, it was the opposite because she was working to make things easier for her teammates. Even then, her presence on the court was known.
"Unfortunately when you're coaching, you're caught up in the moment and you never really have a chance to think about things as they're happening," Bruce said. "But I think there were moments when the coaches sat there going, 'Wow she's actually dominating this game.'"
One of Bruce's favorite memories of Johnson came across the state against Penn State. The game was in Happy Valley, when Penn State was one of the best teams in the country and rarely lost at home. They had a big crowd there and according to Bruce, they wanted to see Pitt lose.
It was a back and forth game, until the last three or four minutes.
"Lorri just put on a show," Bruce said. "She made three three-pointers in a row, so three consecutive possessions she made a three pointer. And then the ball was out on our baseline and she scored… So she scored 11 points in probably about a little over two minutes to help us win that game."
That is just one of the many stories which shows why Johnson was Pitt's first female student-athlete to have her jersey retired and is now being inducted into Pitt's Hall of Fame.
Johnson is also the all-time leading scorer in both men's and women's basketball. But according to Bruce, her legacy is greater than the points she scored. Her legacy is defined by fighting through the pain and rehab that comes with several knee injuries. Her legacy is being dedicated enough to get through that and still develop her full potential. Her legacy is never giving up.
"This is one of the greatest accomplishments I've ever had," Johnson said. "This is the best. That's all I can say, this is the greatest accomplishment I've ever had throughout my life."
2019 PITT HALL OF FAME
The 2019 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class was unveiled June 13, 2019 by Pitt's Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. The 12-member group is composed of All-Pros, All-Americans and legendary all-time greats.
The 2019 class will receive induction at the Pitt Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Petersen Events Center. On Saturday, Sept. 21, the inductees will be introduced at Heinz Field when the Panthers host UCF. For Hall of Fame Dinner ticket information, contact Executive Director for Signature Events and Donor Experience Allison Rubin by phone (412-648-0345) or email (arubin@athletics.pitt.edu).
For more information of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame, visit pittsburghpanthers.com/halloffame.
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