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UM’s Johnson Dominates, Garners National Attention

By Beacon Staff

March Madness is upon us and that means it’s time for the heroes to begin emerging. So far, before the Big Dance has even started, one player has already risen above the rest and he’s one of Montana’s own.

If you missed the men’s basketball Big Sky Conference Championship on Wednesday night, you missed what will go down as one of the greatest performances in Grizzly basketball history. Anthony Johnson, a 6-3 senior guard, led the Grizzlies back from 40-20 deficit to Weber State at halftime to win 66-65. Johnson scored a tournament-record 42 points, including 34 in the second half. The win launched the Grizzlies into the NCAA tournament. Click here for video highlights.

Johnson is all over the national news now, no small feat for a UM athlete. The Washington Post said he “looked unstoppable” and a Sporting News headline called Johnson “March’s First Star.” SB Nation announced: “America: Meet Anthony Johnson of the Montana Grizzlies.” And an ESPN headline reads: “Montana’s Anthony Johnson Introduces Himself.”

To get a better feel for Johnson, you can check out this story the Missoulian wrote about him recently. Also, Mick Holien wrote a column about Johnson for the Beacon and here it is.

It was a performance for the ages and I’m just glad I decided to flip on the TV. I might not ever see anything quite like it again, especially from someone representing Montana. Well done, AJ.