Basketball Preview: Chicago Hope Academy vs. Johnson Pumas
The Chicago Hope Academy Chicago Hope Academy will face off against the Johnson Pumas at 2:00 p.m. on Monday. Chicago Hope Academy is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.3 points per game this season.
Chicago Hope Academy's usually-dominant defense will be looking to make up for Saturday's struggle, when Decatur Central offense got past them. Chicago Hope Academy took a hard 64-46 fall against Decatur Central on Saturday. The loss was Chicago Hope Academy's first of the season.
Despite the loss, Chicago Hope Academy saw an underclassman step up: freshman Jocelynn Smellie almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine rebounds. Janessa Centeno was another key player, scoring six points along with six assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Johnson was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat dating back to last season. They took a blow against Pritzker, falling 53-14. The Pumas were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-8.
Having lost for the first time this season, Chicago Hope Academy fell to 3-1. As for Johnson, their loss dropped their record down to 0-3.
Everything went Chicago Hope Academy's way against Johnson in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, as Chicago Hope Academy made off with a 62-38 win. Will Chicago Hope Academy repeat their success, or does Johnson have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
