Hope Academy cruises past North Shore

Updated: March 23, 2011 3:50PM

It was not that Hope Academy's Torrance Johnson was that much taller than his North Shore Country Day defenders. He was just, well, bigger.

Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound junior, scored 26 points and collected 12 rebounds, and sophomore swingman Jalen James added 20 points as Hope Academy advanced to the finals of the Class 1A sectional at Mooseheart by defeating Country Day 79-57.

Johnson scored 14 points in the first half to power Hope Academy (21-10) to a 39-23 lead at intermission.

"We press a lot," Johnson said. "Press and run. We can play half-court, but we want to use our quickness. If we don't run, we try to get the ball inside. If they double down on me, I can kick it out. If they don't, I go to work."

Johnson used his bulk to keep Country Day at a distance, but he also exhibited a soft touch from the free-throw line, making all 10 of his first 10 attempts before misfiring on a potential three-point play with 3:17 remaining.

"I shoot about 82 percent from the line," Johnson said. "That one looked good. It just went long."

Trailing by 18 points early in the third quarter, Country Day went to its long game to climb back into the contest. The Raiders made four three-pointers in the third quarter to pull within 50-41 and closed to within 57-50 with 7:10 remaining in the game.

But Hope countered with an 18-4 run to earn its first-ever sectional final berth.

"We were flat at times," Hope coach Mike Edwards said. "Sometimes it's hard to motivate teenagers. But when we are motivated, we are a tough team."

Tyrone Smith added 15 points and four steals and Alex Houston had 10 points for Hope Academy, a six-year-old school on the city's west side.

"Tyrone always seems to score a quiet 15 or 20," Edwards said.

Sophomore Austin Curren led Country Day (14-8) with 18 points, junior Jake Bruce added 15 and sophomore guard Jamie Swimmer added 10, including a pair of three-pointers during the Raiders' big third-quarter run.

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