“Unc” helps girls basketball to win
Piedmont High School’s girls basketball team has a lone senior this year: center Saniyah Johnson.
“They like calling me the ‘Unc,’” Johnson said. “It’s a little bit of a learning experience. They teach me new things. I teach them some new things. They teach me patience. Still love the game. They bring energy to me. I’ve been playing for so long. I love that aspect.
“I’m grateful to have teammates like them. They uplift me and I try to do the same thing back.”
Johnson mostly concentrates on defense and rebounds inside. The Highlanders have plenty of scoring, as they demostrated in a 75-16 win over Encinal at Binks Gymnasium on Feb. 4. Alexis Ba had 20 points, Andrea Martin had 19, while Taylor White and Nia Jackson each scored 10. Johnson had six points and six rebounds. Savannah Dennig had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
But it was senior night and in the pregame ceremony, Johnson was the center of attention.
“Saniyah has been awesome for us,” Piedmont coach Bryan Gardere said. “She has been such a great leader for us on and off the court. She’s a great communicator and a really good teammate. Everybody loves Saniyah. She’ll come in with a great attitude but also she might bring you a treat! She’ll have cookies!”
Martin, a sophomore and one of the best players in the East Bay, certainly appreciates Johnson.
“She’s a beast on the court and I’m gonna miss her,” Martin said. “We call her ‘Unc,’ ‘Aunt,’ all of the above, ‘Grandma.’”
Johnson said there’s a generation gap between her and her teammates.
“When I first got here, I never listened to Go Rilla, I didn’t listen to no Sexyy Red or Tyler the Creator,” she said. “They broadened my music taste.”
Johnson is also the top thrower for the Piedmont track team. She said she has worked hard to develop in both sports.
“I got more confident and more self-esteem,” Johnson said. “They helped develop my shot more, that’s one thing I’ve always been working on. I need to get more confident shooting in the game.
“I do whatever I can for my team. If I’m not the one scoring, I going to make sure my defense is on point. I’m going grab all the rebounds, I’m gonna try to get steals, I’m going to try to assist them in their scoring. It’s not all about offense. If I’m not the one scoring, I make sure I’m doing something else. That’s what I pride myself on doing.”
Said Gardere, “She already had been a good rebounder, but she’s even more active. Trying to get the loose balls, trying to get the 50-50 balls. Every little bit is going to play a role.”
The Highlanders are now 15-3 on the season, 4-0 in West Alameda County Conference play. They appear headed to the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs once again, where they will face the top programs in the East Bay.
Getting healthy is going to be key, specifically starting point guard Jenelle Solis, who has been out with a foot injury for most of January. The sophomore was in a boot on the bench during the Encinal game. Gardere didn’t have a timetable for a return.
Piedmont defeated Marin Catholic in a nonleague game at home on Jan. 31, 68-43. Martin scored 26 points to lead the way and also grabbed 14 rebounds. White had 11 points and 17 rebounds and added 12 assists. Ba scored 18 points.
The Highlanders beat Castro Valley on the road, 79-24 on January 27 and downed Antelope at home on Jan. 24, 57-37.
Piedmont will play at Bishop O’Dowd on Feb. 11.