HERSHEY — Mamadou Kane caught a pass in the middle of the paint from Lucas Grimsley and threw up a shot from about 12 feet that bounced off the left side of the rim just before the final buzzer sounded.
That’s how close Sewickley Academy came from winning its fourth state title Friday.
Stephen Smucker scored the go-ahead layup with 23 seconds left as Linville Hill Christian rallied back from eight points down in the fourth quarter to edge Sewickley Academy, 55-54, in a thrilling PIAA Class 2A championship at the Giant Center.
It was a disappointing end for a Sewickley Academy team that made huge strides this season, reaching the WPIAL semifinals and coming so close to winning its first PIAA title since 2017. The Panthers (24-6) won just three games in both 2022 and 2023 before going 13-10 a season ago, a rapid ascent that was not lost on Nolan Donnelly, the team’s lone senior starter who understandably was emotional afterward when talking about his journey.
“This is my family forever, right? They’re not going anywhere,” said Donnelly, who scored four points. “So I’m happy for this experience and I’m happy we got this far. I wished we came out on the other end, but I’d probably still be sitting here crying anyway. I love this school. I love these people.”
Speaking of love, first-year Sewickley Academy coach Mike Iuzzolino said he loved the look his team got on its final possession, which capped an action-packed final minute that saw Smucker put Linville Hill (24-5) in front with his layup with 23 seconds left. Following a Sewickley Academy turnover, Linville Hill’s Derian Petersheim missed two free throws with 10 seconds to go.
Sewickley Academy grabbed the rebound and called a timeout, but what made this situation even more challenging for the Panthers was that Linville Hill had only one team foul, meaning it had three fouls to give. The Warriors committed a foul with four seconds left and another with two seconds left before Sewickley Academy got the ball to Kane, a talented 6-foot-10 freshman center who finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.
“I loved the look we got,” Iuzzolino said. “We couldn’t have gotten any better look. We got Mamadou right at the front of the rim. He didn’t finish great all night, but 1000% I’ll take that shot. You don’t have a timeout and your kids are still able to execute that play? It’s incredible.”
Linville Hill, which is located about 15 miles east of Lancaster, used an incredible comeback to win its first PIAA title. After trailing by narrow margins for most of the game, Sewickley Academy went on an 8-0 run to begin the fourth quarter to take a 48-40 lead courtesy of Donnelly’s basket with 6:29 remaining. The Panthers led, 50-43, with five minutes left when Linville Hill used a 10-0 run to storm in front, 53-50, following Smucker’s two free throws with 1:04 left. Drew Steals and Kane both had buckets to give Sewickley Academy a 54-53 lead with 34 seconds left, setting the stage for Smucker’s late heroics.
Smucker, a 6-1 senior forward, scored a game-high 22 points for Linville Hill, which also got 12 from Giovanni Sejuste and 10 from Drew Tibbins. The Warriors shot 47% from the field (20 of 42) against a Sewickley Academy squad that was giving up a WPIAL-low 37.9 points per game and had held its previous eight postseason opponents to 48 points or fewer. The Warriors made only three 3-pointers, instead relying on drives to the basket despite being at a big height disadvantage. Kane and Adam Ikamba — both 6-8 — shared the court for a large portion of the game, while Linville Hill didn’t play anyone taller than 6-2.
“I think it was more their energy,” Steals said. “They moved the ball well. We knew coming into this game that they cut to the hoop a lot, but they were more driving it today. And I think they did a good job on that and we could have been more disciplined in our gaps.”
Sewickley Academy played most of the game without starting guard Caiden Battles, who suffered an injury late in the first quarter and did not return.
Surprisingly, Steals, a 6-foot freshman guard, led Sewickley Academy in scoring with a career-high 17 points. Ikamba, a sophomore, added 16 points — which included a few thunderous dunks — and a game-high 13 rebounds, as the Panthers outscored Linville Hill, 33-2, in bench points. Steals and Ikamba outscored Sewickley Academy’s starters, 33-21. Kane (10 points) was the only other player to reach double digits.
“How many freshmen come into a state championship game and do what Drew Steals did today?’” Iuzzolino questioned. “He was amazing at what he did today. He played like a senior. He’s been a warrior all year. That’s the one thing I like about Drew, the moment is never too big for Drew. He’s grown immensely since the start of the season.”
Despite Friday’s loss, this Sewickley Academy team should continue to grow. And with so many starters and reserves being only freshmen or sophomores, the Panthers could be a major player in the WPIAL and PIAA for years to come.
“I think our team should use this as a learning opportunity,” Steals said. “I’m sad that our senior Nolan didn’t get the win, but we have a lot of younger players on our team and I think we’re going to come back stronger and really connect better as a team more.”
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.