Sewickley Academy boys storm back to edge Greensburg CC in state semifinals

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 3:52 PM

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Everything was going well for Greensburg Central Catholic in the western final — until it went south.

A 14-point lead in the first half felt more like 30 as the Centurions pulled ahead of Sewickley Academy with relative ease. Crisp passing led to uncontested layups, and defensive pressure was locked tight.

They could almost smell the chocolate in Hershey.

But there was one problem: Sewickley Academy wasn’t through.

The Panthers leaned on a short memory and halftime adjustments, utilizing their size more effectively and changing the game’s pace to storm back for a 52-48 victory in the PIAA Class 2A boys basketball semifinals Saturday afternoon at Peters Township’s AHN Arena.

“We’ve been making defensive plays all year. That’s our calling card,” Panthers first-year coach Mike Iuzzolino said. “I told our guys we’re not going to win this game with offense; we’re going to win it with defense.”

Sewickley Academy (24-5) held GCC to 12 points in the second half — six in each quarter — to return to the state finals for the first time since 2017 when they won their last of three state titles.

The Panthers rallied in their season, too, after falling flat in a 45-25 loss to WPIAL champion Jeannette in the WPIAL semifinals. A team with only two seniors on the roster is growing up fast.

Freshman 6-foot-8 forward Mamadou Kane and junior guard Lucas Grimsley each scored 17 points, with Kane putting up 13 in the second half and Grimsley connecting on five 3-pointers.

It will be the Panthers against Linville Hill (23-5) for the title at 2 p.m. Friday at Giant Center in Hershey.

GCC, which rode a wave of momentum after an upset loss to Union in the WPIAL quarterfinals, ends the season at 26-4.

The Centurions, who were trying to get to the state finals for the first time since 2011, walked off the court with a look of disbelief after a game they led 24-10 was gone from their grasp.

“Our game is to get out and go,” GCC coach Christian Hyland said. “In the second half, they pounded it in to the big guy, and we didn’t get many stops. Sewickley really defended and turned it around. It’s not like we can turn it back and say we didn’t do this or that. They beat us.”

In the second half, Sewickley Academy turned down the volume on GCC’s transition game and made the Centurions work in halfcourt sets. Grimsley made the game’s biggest play when, with his team leading 49-46, he tapped a long rebound to himself off a missed 3-pointer from sophomore A.J. Tarpley and took it in for a layup for a five-point lead with 20.1 seconds to play.

“(Grimsley) kept them in it,” Hyland said.

Kane scored six straight early in the third to trim the margin to 38-33.

Senior Braden Riley made a jumper with about four minutes remaining in the quarter to put the Centurions ahead by seven. But GCC didn’t make another field goal in the frame while the Panthers chipped away.

Kane blocked a shot, and freshman Drew Steals and Grimsley hit back-to-back 3s to close the gap to 40-39 with 3:25 to go in the third.

“Grimsley was phenomenal and hit some wide-open shots,” Iuzzolino said. “He also came off of double-teams.”

The Panthers’ other 6-8 post man, sophomore Adam Ikamba, tipped in a miss to give the Panthers their first lead at 41-40 with 50 seconds left.

“Our guys were ball-watching rather than being disciplined in gaps,” Iuzzolino said. “Kane, since Day 1, has been developing and getting better.”

GCC junior Samir Crosby, who had 11 tough points, muscled his way to the rim for consecutive rebounds and beat the third-quarter buzzer to put GCC ahead 42-41.

“He’s a gamer,” Hyland said of Crosby. “All of our guys are confident. There was no quit in them today.”

In the fourth, the lead changed sides four times in the first four minutes, with Ikamba putting the Panthers ahead to stay with another tip-in for a 47-46 edge. He followed with a block, and Kane scored off a pick-and-roll to make it 49-46 with 4:08 to go.

An offensive lull ensued as GCC fouled to conserve time and both teams ran empty sets.

The Panthers turned it over with 1:13 left, but Tarpley’s 3 from the wing missed and Grimsley was on his way for the insurance basket.

Crosby tipped in a miss with 7.5 seconds left, but it was too late. Kane made a free throw for the final point.

After making 13 field goals in the first half, the Centurions managed just six in the second.

“I couldn’t be happier for our guys,” Iuzzolino said. “They fought all year long.”

GCC looked sprinter-fast in the opening minutes, taking a 19-9 lead after one quarter while opening with a 9-0 run. Senior Brady O’Rourke scored all of his team-high 14 points in the first half, including three 3s, as GCC built a 26-17 advantage at the break.

Crosby finished with 11 points, and Tarpley had 10.

GCC did not attempt a free throw in the second half.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Sewickley Academy