Facing what was literally a tall task against Lane on Dec. 5, Curie was in serious need of a spark.

Brad Johnson Jr. provided it.

Led by 6-foot-10 Penn recruit Dalton Scantlebury, Lane is one of the area’s biggest teams. Curie was undersized by comparison in the Public League Red Shield opener and trailed by 13 midway through the third quarter,

Then Johnson got hot from the perimeter. He hit four 3-pointers in the quarter, including a buzzer-beater from the top of the key.

The fourth quarter was back and forth, but Curie’s Rashaad Wilson buried a 3-pointer from the left corner with four seconds left to give the Condors a 48-46 win.

Johnson scored 16 of his game-high 19 points after halftime as Curie stayed unbeaten at 3-0. Wilson had nine points, including five in the final 1:47.

“I started to see some shots open for me,” Johnson said. “Our team didn’t really have (any) offense going on so I had to put the load on my back and get the job done.”

Johnson, a 6-4 senior, is one of the more experienced Condors. He got significant playing time on a 31-3 team that won the Public League title and lost by two to eventual champ Homewood-Flossmoor in a Class 4A supersectional. Along with Michael Oliver Jr., he’s one of the key veterans for a team that graduated all five starters from last season.

This group of Condors is made up of some rotation players from last year now in bigger roles along with some up from the Public League sophomore champs.

“We’re blending in good,” Johnson said. “We’re just getting our chemistry together the first three games. I think we’re gonna have a good season.”

As usually happens for Curie, defense played a key role in the comeback against Lane.

The Condors forced 24 turnovers. Scantlebury was dominant inside with 14 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. He made 8 of 10 free throws. but Curie held him to 3-for-11 shooting from the field.

“We take pride and practice every day on defense,” Johnson said. “We practice (taking) charges. Every time we play five-on-five, a charge is worth two points.”

“We knew we were going to be outsized with height and strength,” Curie coach Mike Olver said. “Dalton is a great player. …

“But we stayed together. Our seniors — Brad Johnson stepped up, made big shots. He carried us that third and fourth quarter. And then our other senior, Rashaad Wilson, he came up with the biggest shot of the day. Made a wide-open 3. Like I told our guys, if we share the ball and spread it out, good things are gonna happen.”