Redshirt freshman Dariel Johnson, who has helped the Pasadena City College women's basketball team to be ranked No. 17 in the state, was named California Community College Sports Information Association/CCCAA State Athlete of the Month for January.
Johnson, a 6-foot-2 local product from Pasadena High, is the state's current third-leading rebounder (14.7 average) and second in blocked shots per game (4.2). The talented center will be playing tonight in the team's regular-season finale at Chaffey College (7 p.m. tip-off).
In the month of January, Johnson averaged 19 points, 14.2 rebounds, 5 blocks, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals in six games.
She earned MVP honors of the 16-team, Crossover Challenge Tournament.
In the tourney finale vs. state No. 3-ranked LA Trade Tech, she made a PCC first-ever performance with a points-rebounds-blocks triple-double. Only the sixth triple double of any kind in Lancers history, Johnson pulled off the feat by scoring her season-high of 28 points, with 18 rebounds and 12 blocked shots. She set a PCC record for most blocks in a game.
Johnson is the first PCC recipient of the prestigious award since 2015 when, ironically, another women's basketball player--Regerina Baker--earned the award also for the month of January. In fact, five of the eight all-time PCC winners were women's hoops players (see list at end of release). All five played under Pasadena's long-time head coach Joe Peron.
https://www.cccaasports.org/AOTM/AOTM_January_19
Here is a list of all the PCC State Award winners since it was originated in 2005:
Dariel Johnson, women's basketball, January 2019
Regerina Baker, women's basketball, January 2015
Kinyada Johnson, women's basketball, March 2009
Easter Faafiti, women's basketball, January 2008
David Pittman, football, September 2007
Edino Steele, men's track and field, May 2007 (a member of the PCC Sports Hall of Fame, inducted in 2018)
Jeanine Deno, women's basketball, December 2006
Yura Movsisyan, men's soccer, November 2005 (Major League Soccer and international player)