After suffering an injury, former Happy Valley standout Kalee Johnson is working to get her groove back at UVA-Wise.
And this past Saturday, she took a big step in the right direction.
Earlier this year, Johnson, who is a redshirt sophomore for the Cavaliers, suffered an ankle sprain and had to sit out for roughly three weeks.
“I have been pretty blessed throughout my career,” said Johnson. “I haven’t really had a bad injury that I have had to sit out for. This is the first one. I didn’t really know how to take not being out there and playing. We have really good trainers, and they worked really hard to get me back. I have a cast on now when I am playing, with all of the tape that they put on it.
“It really throws you out of a groove when you haven’t been out there for a while,” added Johnson. “You just have to work hard and get back in your rhythm.”
Johnson, however, got back in action on Nov. 28 during UVA-Wise’s 87-84 win over West Virginia State during which Johnson saw nine minutes of playing time as she scored six points and had two rebounds with one steal. This past Saturday, Johnson led the Cavaliers with 11 points off the bench as the UVA-Wise fell 72-55 to Charleston.
“You know, while I was out, my teammates worked really hard to fill my spot,” said Johnson. “Now that I am back, I have to work even harder to get my spot back that I had. I think I am slowly getting there.”
Much like Johnson trying to back into things after an injury, the Cavaliers as a whole are trying to bounce back from a 6-21 season during their 2017-18 run. Right now, UVA-Wise is 3-4 overall while 2-2 in the Mountain East Conference. Johnson, however, feels that her team has a better chance at a stronger showing this time around.
“Last year, we had a rough season,” said Johnson. “We all have that in the back of our minds. This year, we are coming out strong. We are going to make a run in the conference that nobody expected us to make because we were picked dead last in the conference.”
Johnson and the Cavaliers will be back at it this evening as they take on West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Kiser hits double-digits in past two games
The Milligan Women’s basketball team is scooting right along after winning eight straight.
Right in the middle of the mix is former Elizabethton standout Emily Kiser.
Over the Buffaloes last two wins, Kiser, a junior, has hit double-digit scoring. Kiser knocked down a game-high 14 points during Milligan’s 84-50 win over Truett McConnell on Nov. 28. During that victory, Kiser was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. This past Saturday, Kiser racked up 15 points as she went 5-of-9 from outside.
Milligan (8-0, 6-0 AAC) will host AAC’s Montreat College tonight at the Steve Lacy Field House.