New Castle native Lorri Johnson, leading scorer in Pitt basketball history, dies
Lorri Johnson, who scored more points than any male or female basketball player in Pitt history, has died, the school confirmed. She was 51.
Johnson scored 2,312 points (20.5 per game) and recorded 908 rebounds while playing in 113 games from 1987-1991.
Kirk Bruce, who was Johnson’s coach at Pitt, recognized her talent on the court, but he said her competitive spirit set her apart.
“Anytime they ever lost a game she was just beyond herself upset,” Bruce said last year in a story on Pitt’s website announcing Johnson’s selection to the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame. “She just always wanted to win. She always had that in her that she wanted to win.
“Lorri was in my opinion, as a younger player, well beyond her years as far as her basketball IQ. She knew how to make the right passes. She always seemed to be in the right position to get rebounds. She played hard.”
Johnson, who was named All-Big East three times, is the first women’s basketball player to have her jersey number (24) retired at Pitt.
A native of New Castle, she was recruited by many of the top women’s basketball schools in the nation. But she chose Pitt for a simple reason – family.
“I could have gone to Hawaii or UCLA,” she said upon her selection to the Hall of Fame, “but I wanted my family to come to see me.”
Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke was among those who honored Johnson at her jersey retirement ceremony and her Hall of Fame induction at the Petersen Events Center.
“One of my greatest memories at Pitt so far was standing next to Lorri Johnson as her jersey was retired, followed by her induction into the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame,” Lyke said in a statement.
“Lorri’s joy on those occasions is something I’ll always remember, and Pitt fans who watched her play will remember how breathtaking she was on the basketball court.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the Johnson family and the many people who loved Lorri and called her a friend and teammate.
“She will always be considered one of Pitt’s finest.”
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Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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