OLSH Sisters support Phoenix Suns' Cam Johnson from living room of Coraopolis convent

Throughout a devoted lifetime — and especially during her 39 years at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart — Sister Mary Francine Horos has maintained a strict adherence to the Ten Commandments.

They are as important to her as the air she breathes.

For Cam Johnson, however, she makes an exception in regards to No. 7.

“I like his stealing,” said Sister Francine, who has been witness to many of his 91 steals during his two seasons with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. For the record, she adds, “Although, I’m not into stealing.”

Sister Francine lives in the convent next to Our Lady of Sacred Heart High School in Coraopolis with nine other Sisters from the Felician order. Most of them know Johnson, walked the same halls with him while he was an academically gifted student there and followed his basketball career from OLSH to Pitt to North Carolina.

And, finally, to the Phoenix Suns, where he has become the first WPIAL graduate since Monaca’s Mickey Davis in 1974 to play in the NBA Finals. The Suns take a 1-0 edge into Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Sister Francine, Sister Mary Sharon Iacobucci and many others in the convent have been holding watch parties in their living room every time a Suns playoff game comes on TV.

“We watched Cam when he was at Pitt,” Sister Francine said. “We watched Cam when he was at North Carolina. I never watched an NBA game until Cam got drafted.

“Depending on how late they were playing, we tried to catch all his games. Once it came to the playoffs, there are a couple of us, we just know we’re going to be up there from 9 to midnight, watching Cam.

“He’s just a joy.”

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— OLSH Athletics (@olshsports) July 6, 2021

Johnson, a transfer from Moon, spent his final two high school years at OLSH.

“He was a stellar student,” said Sister Francine, who teaches math. “He turned out to be salutatorian of his graduating class (2014).

“He is such a gentleman in every way you can imagine. Very attentive.

“He was very quiet. I would probably say he was more of an introvert. Very conscientious about his studies, very courteous.”

Over the years, Johnson has returned to watch his brother, Donovan, play for OLSH and to visit his mother, Amy, the school nurse. Sister Francine recalls Cam coming back from college one day and spending an hour talking to OLSH seniors.

“He is a very giving guy. You can tell that by the way he plays,” Sister Francine said. “He could probably have more shots, but he’s thinking about, ‘Who can do it better than I can? Or faster than I can? Or, who could I help?’ ”

Before the start of the Finals, Johnson was asked about his rooting section at OLSH. The question brought a smile to the 25-year-old Johnson, who is soberly serious when talking basketball.

“That’s awesome,” he said. “My mom was a school nurse there for a lot of years and so she had some relationships with them, and they’re very nice, very nice. Very sweet.”

Sweet? Sure, but Sister Francine said their watch parties can get intense.

Even when Johnson missed the deciding Game 6 of the Western Conference finals with food poisoning, the Sisters got together to support the Suns.

When Johnson comes into the game, the Sisters notice him immediately by his distinctive hairstyle, a change from his look in high school.

When he hit his first of two 3-pointers Tuesday in the Suns’ Game 1 victory, Phoenix Suns Arena erupted in noise. The scene in the Felician nuns’ Coraopolis living room was not as loud but just as passionate.

“This is our living room, so we yell,” Sister Francine said. “We do just like what everybody else does. We cheer.

“When he got his first three points, it was, like, jubilation. When it comes to sports, you can’t be quiet and be happy. You have to be loud.”

With the NBA championship on the line, the Sisters are not above a little trash talk (via text message) in the rivalry they’ve cultivated with the Felician order in Milwaukee.

Sister Francine said nothing material is at stake.

“Bragging rights, that’s about it. ‘OK, we won Game 1. What are you up to?’

“Since Cam is one of us, they should really be rooting for Phoenix, not for Milwaukee. But I can’t do anything about that.”

Johnson gave his supporters plenty to cheer in Game 1 when he compiled a stat line of 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, no turnovers and two steals.

Not to worry: The steals came with Sister Francine’s blessing.