By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — Just a sophomore, Biloxi standout center Zaniya Johnson has already made her mark on the girl’s prep basketball circles across South Mississippi.
And now, her solid work as an eighth grader and as a freshman has paid off with a major honor.
On Wednesday, the 6-foot-4 Johnson was named to the prestigious “Dandy Dozen” list produced by The Jackson Clarion-Ledger annually. She is the only sophomore named to the list this season, and just the third ever in the three decades since the list started.

“Zaniya is a product of the work she has put into her game,” BHS head girl’s basketball coach Devin Hill said. “I really feel like she should have been a Dandy Dozen last year, but this is well deserved. I am just proud of the person and player that she is. As she continues to get better, her game elevates the play of our team. We are excited about Zaniya’s future as well as the future of our program!”
Johnson burst upon the scene as an eighth grader two years ago and provided a key complementary piece to then Lady Indian standout and current William Carey stalwart Shaneal Corpuz as Johnson averaged 10 points and nine rebounds in support of Corpuz who tallied a team-high 21 points and nine boards per game on average.
That duo paced Biloxi to a solid 25-7 mark and a berth in the Class 6A overall Final Four at The Big House in Jackson at the Mississippi Coliseum.

Last season, as a freshman, Johnson stepped up in the absence of Corpuz and helped guide the Lady Indians to an impressive 26-6 mark and a berth in the first-ever Class 7A South State Elite Eight. She averaged 17.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and four blocked shots per game last season, and posted a double-double in 21 of 32 BHS games.
Thanks to that production, Johnson has offers from Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn, Providence, Florida State, Ohio State and Jackson State so far.
She hasn’t lost a step so far as a sophomore this season as she and Harrison Central transfer Jayla Carriere have guided Biloxi to a an unbeaten 8-0 mark as the Lady Indians enter Region 4-7A play Friday night at D’Iberville.

Johnson is averaging 15 points per game as well as nine rebounds while Carriere has joined the fray in a solid way scoring 16 points per contest as Hill’s crew has established themselves as one of the top teams in the state.
That duo recently helped BHS to the championship in the annual Booneville Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament with wins over Terry and then Starkville in the title tilt.