College of Staten Island women’s basketball standout Melanie Johnson’s list of annals continues to grow. The City University of New York Athletic Conference Player of the Year has added another laurel to her list, now being named to the D3hoops.com Atlantic Region Second-Team All-Star. Johnson led the squad with 16.6 points per game and was a dynamic part to the team’s 21-8 campaign.
Johnson’s selection is a well-deserved one. The senior missed only a single game this season, making 25 starts. Her 464 points were the 12th-highest in CSI single season history, and the senior added 7.8 rebounds per contest, while scattering 71 assists, 19 blocks, and 52 steals. Her 81.5% free-throw shooting was also tops on the squad and the second-best single season mark in program history.
“Melanie is one of those players you wish you had all four years,” said second-year Head Coach Tim Shanahan, who coached Johnson after she transferred from Goldey Beacom College after her sophomore season. “She exceeded every expectation we had for her and then some. She deserves every and all accolades she receives because she has earned them all through hard work and commitment.”
Johnson has proven to be a key piece to the CSI puzzle since joining the team in 2012-13. The Dolphins saw a seven-game improvement in her junior season, and then improved another five games this season, complete with semifinal trips to both the CUNYAC and ECAC Metro NY/NJ Postseason Tournament, where they were the field’s No. 2 seed.
For her career, Johnson tallied 765 points in two seasons, with 339 rebounds. Her career 77.7% free-throw shooting is the finest in CSI career history, eclipsing the former top mark of 75.1% set by Melanie D’Ambrosi from 2005-09. She was also among the NCAA Division III national leaders in double-doubles, collecting nine in total this season. CSI was 9-0 in those games.
