Even if things aren’t going well, Hillcrest’s Da’Jha Johnson has a flair for the dramatic.

The sophomore guard doesn’t worry about the score or whether the Hawks are winning or losing. She keeps it simple — play hard, battle, and things will turn out for the best.

The grittier, the better.

“If we’re down by 10 or more, keep pushing, no matter what,” she said. “Don’t give up.”

That philosophy paid off Friday night for Johnson, who scored 29 points as Hillcrest rallied for a 58-55 victory over host Oak Lawn in a South Suburban Conference crossover.

The Hawks (1-2, 1-0 SSC Blue) got into a deep hole right away, trailing 13-0 in the first quarter. Much of that was due to three 3-pointers by junior guard Teagan Krzystof, who finished with 23 points to lead the Spartans (2-4, 0-1 SSC Red).

But Johnson almost single-handedly willed her team back into the game in the first half with 17 points. And by the time the game was winding down and Hillcrest took the lead, all she had to do was sink a pair of free throws with 24.1 seconds left to seal the deal.

It was a perfect counterbalance to Krzystof, who made seven 3-pointers, two short of the program record set last season by senior teammate Maeve Hassett.

Johnson — who insists with a big smile that she stands 5-foot-6 “and a half” — started every game last season for the Hawks. She averaged 17 points and was all-conference.

“I have more confidence than I did last year,” Johnson said. “I was scared since I was a freshman.”

Hillcrest coach Ed Schodrof said she’s already crafting a worthy sequel.

How? Her jump shot is coming along nicely, according to Schodrof, but more importantly, she’s growing into a larger role for the Hawks.

“We’ve had her watching some video seminars on leadership and trying to grow that part of her,” he said. “And that’s only going to get higher as the years go on.”

Johnson is already making a difference on that front. Take, for instance, freshman forward Myla Drayton, who played solid minutes in the second half as Hillcrest came back.

“She spread the ball and made sure all her teammates had points,” Drayton said of Johnson. “She had some complications, but she played really hard.”

The main one was a painful cramp in her left leg. But that didn’t stop her.

“I think her ability to read what the situation calls for,” Schodrof said of her biggest improvement. “She knows when to slice, when to give it up, and she hits more jumpers now.

“She had some big free throws down the stretch.”

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Johnson has been playing basketball since age 3, starting out at a gym her grandfather owned. Not surprisingly, she spent a lot of time there and picked up all the fundamentals.

Although she’s only three games into this season, Johnson is already feeling like an encore is coming together.

She also has big plans after high school. The kid who started off in her grandfather’s gym has her sights on playing in college and for one specific program — Penn State.

“Their organization and the team seem cool and the coaching staff actually cares,” Johnson said, adding she knows that because she watches the Nittany Lions on TV.

Schodrof, meanwhile, is convinced Johnson has a bright future for Hillcrest and after her senior season, be it at Penn State or some other school.

“I think, God willing, she keeps working and growing and physically maturing,” he said, “I think she’s a Division I basketball player.”

Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.