Sewickley Academy boys out to build on outstanding start

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, January 5, 2025 | 11:01 AM

The Sewickley Academy boys basketball team was just a few points away from an 8-0 start after a 44-35 victory over North Allegheny on Dec. 30.

In the three games before that, the Panthers rolled past Brentwood, 58-41, thrashed Winchester Thurston, 58-27, and beat Laurel Highlands, 57-50 in overtime.

“I think we are a work in progress,” coach Mike Iuzzolino said. “We continue to improve with every practice and game, which is exactly what any coach at this stage of their team’s development wants to see.

“I challenge the players during film sessions and practice to continue to develop both mentally and physically and they constantly are meeting or exceeding expectations. I constantly remind them the season is a marathon not a sprint.”

Following a tough season-opening two-point loss to Nazareth Prep, Sewickley strung together consecutive victories against Riverview (56-28), Ambridge (69-54) and Eden Christian Academy (58-33) prior to the win at Brentwood.

Against Eden, Lucas Grimsley, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, and Justin Prunzik, a 6-foot junior forward, led the way with 14 and 13 points while 6-8 sophomore forward Adam Ikamba chipped in with 10.

The Warriors also had three players in double figures. Sophomore guard Mason Dean netted 12 while senior forward James Wilkin and sophomore forward River Bartram added 10 apiece.

Grimsley has been Sewickley’s leading scorer for two seasons.

“Lucas is a very talented and competitive player,” Iuzzolino said. “He has a natural ability to score and is very aggressive attacking the basket. When he is shooting the ball well from 3-point land, he becomes difficult to defend.

“He is also starting to embrace the defensive side, which is important for our team.”

Grimsley’s primary position is shooting guard. He also switches to the frontcourt at times.

“We are very excited about the season,” Grimsley said. “There is a lot of competition not just in our section but throughout the WPIAL. We are trying to build as a team on and off the court as much as possible. The coaches work extremely hard teaching how to play the game the right way, and as players, we just try to improve a little every day.

“Our team practices hard and with as much focus as possible since we believe this will translate into success for us on the court. We expect to compete at a level the coaches have set and expect of us. Our coaches have a lot of knowledge and are very experienced, and the players have a lot of trust in them. Coach Iuzzolino is extremely detailed and very passionate about the game and how we grow as student-athletes.”

Sewickley easily handled Winchester Thurston on Dec. 19 behind Grimsley’s 22 points and senior forward Nolan Donnelly’s 11. The Panthers improved to 3-0 in Section 2-2A and 5-1 overall.

“This year, our school dedicated our basketball court to coach (Win) Palmer,” Grimsley said. “It was an honor for many of us since grade school and middle school to play for coach Palmer, and it is still an honor for us to play on his court.

“Our student body and community seem very excited about the season, too. We had great fan turnout for our first Friday home game. It’s always fun to play in front of them.”

Ikamba is a newcomer to the Sewickley lineup. He is an offensive threat in the frontcourt, a force on the boards and a dominant rebounder. Ikamba gives the Panthers a height advantage on the inside over most opponents.

Iuzzolino, the Panthers’ first-year floor boss, discussed the power forward’s burgeoning talents.

“First, Adam is a tremendous student and young man,” Iuzzolino said. “He works hard both in the classroom and on the court and is constantly striving to improve every day.

“Teachers at Sewickley Academy along with our coaching staff have very high praise for Adam as a person, student and athlete. I really believe he has great upside and his journey has just begun.”

Grimsley scored 14 points and Donnelly followed with 13 in the section win at Brentwood. Ikamba finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocked shots. He converted five of six shots from the floor and one of two free throws.

“The team is improving each day, thanks to the coaches’ training and the effort each of us puts in,” Ikamba said. “I would say my expectations for this season are to see my teammates continue to improve.”

On the year, Ikamba was averaging 9.8 points and 8.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. He was shooting 70% from the floor (26 of 37) and 50% at the foul line (7 of 14).

And the Panthers were a well-deserved 7-1 thanks to seven consecutive victories.

Tags: Sewickley Academy