Long-range shooter leads Sewickley Academy to PIAA win

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, March 16, 2025 | 11:01 AM

A 1 p.m. starting time apparently suits Sewickley Academy boys basketball player Lucas Grimsley just fine.

Eight minutes later, the Panthers’ 6-foot-4 junior forward had 15 points in his team’s March 8 PIAA Class 2A playoff game against visiting Windber.

Grimsley sparked Sewickley to an impressive 64-36 victory against the Ramblers, the No. 2 seed from District 8.

Swish, swish, swish and, for good measure, swish.

That’s all the sharp-shooting Grimsley heard in the first quarter as he connected four times on long-range triples.

“Lucas has the ability to get hot quickly,” Sewickley Academy coach Mike Iuzzolino said. “When he is making 3s like he did in the first quarter, he becomes difficult to guard, and so do we because it opens up so many other options for us.

“Most teams have doubled- and tripled-teamed our guys inside, and, to their credit, they have done a much better job of passing out of those traps. I have never been concerned about our offense getting great looks. When we move the ball and share the ball, we get all the open looks we need. It’s just a matter of finishing the plays, which Lucas did (against Windber).”

Grimsley finished with 22 points as 10 Sewickley players reached the scoring column in the 28-point rout. The WPIAL mercy rule was applied in the second half.

The Panthers’ full-court pressure defense and constant movement on offense were too much to overcome for the visitors.

“I thought our team had great energy from the start,” Iuzzolino said, “especially on the defensive side. I think we have had that energy all year on the defensive end, but when you add in getting off to a fast start on the offensive side, that puts our opponents on their heels.”

Sewickley Academy gained a noticeable advantage in the rebounding department as the 6-foot-8 twin towers, freshman forward Mamadou Kane and sophomore forward Adam Ikamba, dominated on the boards.

Senior Nolan Donnelly, a 6-4 forward, and junior Amare Spencer, a 6-2 forward, combined for 14 points for the Panthers.

Senior guard Grady Klosky led Windber with 20 points.

Behind Grimsley’s offensive explosion, Sewickley Academy jumped out to a 23-7 first-quarter lead and maintained a 37-14 halftime advantage.

The Ramblers could not match the home team’s decisive height advantage, as Rob Southall, a 6-3 freshman forward, helped out in the frontcourt to the delight of Kane, Ikamba, Grimsley and Donnelly.

Sewickley Academy’s starting lineup of junior point guard Caiden Battles, Spencer, Grimsley, Donnelly and Kane accounted for a majority of the team’s 64-point total.

Battles maintained his influential role as the “quarterback” of the Panthers offense.

“Caiden has continued to mature and progress as a point guard and leader,” Iuzzolino said. “Here is the key with Caiden: He is an extremely coachable and competitive young man. Anything you ask him to do, he does.

“Also, he is all about the team. He makes plays for the team first and himself second. He has certainly made great strides this season, and it’s been great watching him continue to progress.”

The Panthers’ first-year floor boss rotated players 13 players into the lineup throughout the afternoon.

“I think all these playoff games have been an unbelievable experience for our young guys,” Iuzzolino said. “You can’t teach experience of playoff basketball. You have to go through it.

“The one thing I will say about all of our guys is that they have done an incredible job of representing Sewickley Academy in such a positive way. I tell them all the time life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond, and, to their credit, they keep responding in a positive way.”

Sewickley Academy improved to 21-5 with the victory. Windber ended its season at 17-9.

The Panthers then extended their season with a 56-35 win over Lakeview on March 12 in the PIAA second round.

Tags: Sewickley Academy