Focus on defense pays championship dividends for Sewickley Academy boys

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, March 8, 2026 | 11:01 AM

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“Defense wins games; offense just determines by how much.”

That has been the mantra of the Sewickley Academy boys basketball team all season, and it came to fruition Feb. 27 in the WPIAL finals at Petersen Events Center.

Second-seeded Sewickley turned in another aggressive, laser-focused defensive performance against No. 1 Jeannette to lock up the sixth district crown in school history, 52-38, and its first since 2018 when the late Win Palmer coached the team.

“I thought our guys did a great job executing the game plan,” Sewickley coach Mike Iuzzolino said. “Was a little disappointed we gave up 11 offensive rebounds, but to Jeannette’s credit, they crash the glass extremely hard.”

This year’s WPIAL Class 2A game was billed as perhaps the marquee matchup of the 12-game championship weekend in Oakland.

The Panthers were led by their two 6-foot-8 “chairmen of the boards,” junior Adam Ikamba, with 14 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore Mamadou Kane, with 14 points and seven rebounds. Ikamba helped to set the tone early with three of his patented slam dunks, one off the opening tip.

“Both of these guys have been extremely consistent in their work ethic and performances both in practice and in games,” Iuzzolino said, “so for them to perform at a high level in a big game is not surprising.

“In the end, it was a great team effort just like it has been all year long. But like I told each player as I put the medal around his neck, the job is not done. There is still a lot of work to be done.”

The Jayhawks (22-2) averaged close to 70 points per game during the regular season in ringing up a 19-1 record and taking a 20-game winning streak into the WPIAL finals.

But Sewickley’s suffocating defense limited the defending WPIAL champions to almost 30 points under their average in claiming this year’s title.

The Panthers, proud owners of the best defense (30.1 ppg) in the district, led 16-13 after the first quarter and 29-21 at the half. Sewickley took a 12-point lead early in the third stanza.

Overall, Jeannette shot 38.1% from the field (16 for 42) while the Panthers were 17 for 31 (54.8%).

“They’ve added a couple new kids, and the core (at Sewickley) is back and playing well,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said. “Our goal all along has been to win a state championship.”

As WPIAL titlists, the Panthers were District 7’s No. 1 seed entering the PIAA Class 2A tournament and were scheduled to play Saegertown (21-4), the third-place team in District 10, in the first round March 7.

Amare Spencer, a 6-2 guard, is one of three seniors in the Panthers’ starting lineup, along with 6-5 guard Lucas Grimsley and 5-8 point guard Caiden Battles.

“I’m incredibly proud of this team,” Spencer said. “There’s a lot of pressure that comes with expectations, especially in the playoffs, but we stayed committed to our process and trusted the work we’ve put in all season.

“In the championship game, specifically, I thought we started strong and executed our scouting report well. We were disciplined, communicated on defense, and most importantly, played to our standard instead of letting the moment get too big. That’s something that shows growth and maturity as a group.”

Grimsley, Battles and Spencer form one of the top combinations of backcourt players in the WPIAL.

“I’m really proud of how we handled the playoffs,” Grimsley said. “We stayed consistent every game and didn’t let the moment get too big for us. Throughout the run, we defended at a high level, shared the ball and trusted our preparation. In the championship game especially, we were locked in defensively.

“Our expectation (in the state playoffs) is to attack every day with a chip on our shoulder. Winning the WPIAL is a huge accomplishment, but we know the job isn’t finished. The PIAA tournament is another level, so we need to stay focused and keep improving. If we defend at a high level and continue playing unselfish basketball, I believe good things will follow.”

Both the Panthers and Jayhawks were undefeated section titlists this year.

Sewickley defeated No. 18 Greensburg Central Catholic, 77-17, in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs; No. 10 Winchester Thurston, 61-33, in the quarterfinals; and No. 3 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 56-30, in the semifinals.

The Panthers’ average margin of victory in their four district playoff games was 32 points. Their only loss this season was to nationally ranked Roselle Catholic (N.J.), 54-53, in overtime.

“The expectation is to get back to Hershey and win a state championship,” Spencer said. “That’s the goal. But we’re not looking ahead or skipping steps. We’re taking it one game at a time and treating each opponent with the same level of focus and respect.

“In states, every team is good and every game matters, so our mindset is to stay locked in, play to our standard and control what we can control.”

Sewickley won 20 consecutive times in the regular season and is 25-1 overall.

Saegertown has been victorious in 10 of its past 11 games and 15 of its last 17.

Two of Saegertown’s leading players are 6-3 senior forward Luke Young and 6-4 junior forward Jackson Scott, both 1,000-point career scorers. Scott averages around 21.5 ppg and Young averages 18.3 ppg.

Blake Leslie, a 5-10 junior forward, leads the team in 3-pointers, while 5-10 junior point guard Levi Gardner and 6-3 senior forward William Shaffer round out the starting five.

Saegertown won its first playoff game since 2016 when it defeated Sharpsville, 66-41, in a District 10 quarterfinal matchup at Meadville. Saegertown’s last appearance in the state playoffs was in 2006 when it beat Fairview in a 2A consolation round.

Sewickley finished as the PIAA 2A runner-up last season, narrowly losing to Linville Hill Christian, 55-54, in the championship game.

Sewickley is the only WPIAL team able to beat Jeannette this season. The Jayhawks’ only other loss occurred in early December against Woodford County (Ky.) in the Pittsburgh Basketball Classic.

Tags: Sewickley Academy