TORREYS SHOW NO PANIC IN DROUGHT

One of the reasons the La Jolla Country Day girls basketball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation is nothing seems to faze the Torreys.

Playing a Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda team with five players at 6 feet or taller, LJCD was held to 20 points in the first half. Then the Torreys went almost six minutes to start the fourth quarter without a field goal. Trouble? Not really. LJCD (31-1) made it 15 straight wins before a packed home crowd with a 54-44 victory that advanced the Torreys to the Southern California Regional Open Division championship game at home Tuesday against Los Angeles Windward.

Though they scored a season-low 20 points before intermission, they also played stellar defense to lead 20-16. And not having a field goal isn’t all that bad when you’re making 12 of 13 free throws before Breya Cunningham

La Jolla Country Day 54, Etiwanda 44

banked in a field goal with 2:05 to play for a 4837 lead.

Te-hina Paopao, who was given the award as the Gatorade State Player of the Year before the game, led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Cunningham, the superlative 6-3 freshman, added 17 points.

“We knew we were in the bonus (in the fourth quarter) so we wanted to go to the hoop and get fouled,” said the Oregon-bound Paopao.

Cunningham, who scored nine of her points in the fourth quarter, was nails under the basket.

“I ask for the ball if I think I can make it and I did,” said Cunningham, who drew a half-dozen fouls.

Etiwanda (27-6) committed 20 fouls and the Torreys turned that into 21 points on 21-of-29 free throw shooting.