OAKWOOD - Johnson's boys basketball team is rolling with the punches.
With leading scorer Matt Hollis out after meniscus surgery and the Knights' other leading senior Ty Odem finding early foul trouble Wednesday against North Forsyth (3-9), the Knights pressed on at home to secure a 60-53 win against the Raiders in the Holiday Shootout.
"We've faced adversity all year," Knights (6-6) coach Jeff Steele said. "I'm so pleased with how our team is playing because they're so coachable."
In the girls game, North Forsyth's Caroline Bowns had 14 points, three rebounds and three assists in a 61-29 win against the Lady Knights.
With Johnson shorthanded, junior Montrell McKenzie stepped up with 16 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots to lead four of the team's scorers in double digits.
Leading by more than 10 most of the fourth quarter, the Knights secured the win at the free throw line by making 9 of 16 in the period.
"Everyone is stepping up right now," said McKenzie, who also hit 8 of 12 free throws.
The Raiders made an attempt at a comeback in the third quarter. Trailing 40-26, Chris Bureau (16 points) and Wade Allen both hit 3-point shots, along with Bureau's strip of the ball and basket to take the deficit down to 42-36 with 3:10 left in the third.
The closest North Forsyth would get in the second half was when Trevor Pulliam made a basket at the 2:00 mark to draw to within 42-38.
That's when McKenzie kicked off a 7-0 scoring run for Johnson when he knocked down a basket and free throw to complete a 3-point play.
His effort was especially important when Odem went down late in the second quarter with his fourth foul of the game and didn't come back into the game until early in the fourth quarter.
Odem finished the game with 10 points for the Knights, six in the first quarter.
He also put in a big fourth quarter basket when he kept the ball from going out of bounds just inside midcourt, despite a double team, and drove all the way to the basket for the layup.
Drew Dunham (13 points) and A.J. Benefield (12 points, seven rebounds) also scored in double digits for Johnson, which plays host to Forsyth Central at 6 p.m. today in Day 2 of the event.
The Knights finished out the first half on an 8-0 run, including Dunham's 3-pointer at the final buzzer when he sprinted the ball down the court shot it up at the final second and it went off the backboard and in.
Having more guys get into the scoring game is Steele's priority right now to take the pressure off any one shooter.
"These last two games have been the most fun all season," Steele said, including the win against Chestatee to wrap up the Lanierland last week.
Leading 19-15 in the second quarter, Benefield kicked off a strong scoring spurt with a 3-pointer. Odem and McKenzie both followed with a basket.
North Forsyth was first to crack the scoreboard in the game when Bureau nailed a 3-pointer only 1:30 into the game, and it took the lead back with a basket by Pulliam.
With the loss, the Raiders have dropped seven of their last eight games.
North Forsyth faces North Hall at 3:30 p.m. today in Oakwood.
NORTH FORSYTH GIRLS 61, JOHNSON 29: The Lady Raiders (8-4) pulled down 25 rebounds, came away with 14 steals and never trailed Wednesday in Oakwood.
Bowns' strip of the ball and layup underneath gave North Forsyth a 6-0 lead with 6:15 left to play in the opening quarter and was one of her three baskets in the first period.
The Lady Raiders also forced Johnson into 15 turnovers with aggressive defense the entire game. Lochlain Corliss scored all six of her points in the second quarter. She also had an assist on a basket by Allie Robbins to make its lead 22-7.
Johnson's Lyndsey Pethel (12 points) scored late in the second quarter to break up an 8-0 scoring run by North Forsyth. Harlee Robson finished with eight points for the Lady Knights (1-11).
In the third period, North Forsyth went on another big run with a pair of 3-pointers by Bowns and another by Kim Blake.
Today, Johnson hosts Forsyth Central at 5 p.m. in Oakwood. North Forsyth faces North Hall at 2 p.m.