Sewickley Academy won its Section 1-A opener in girls basketball with a 47-39 victory against Eden Christian Academy.
Mikaela Mbandi, a 6-foot freshman forward, sparked the Panthers with 17 points in the mid-December game.
“I loved our energy,” Sewickley coach Rob Shazer said. “We didn’t shoot the ball great, but we played tough defense and really got Makaela going early. She was scoring around the rim and doing a nice job rebounding on both sides of the floor.
“Our game plan was to play inside out. I thought we were able to stick to that most of the first half, but Eden did a nice job adjusting in the second half.”
Sewickley junior Emma Eannarino, an energetic 5-5 guard, complemented Mbandi offensively with 10 points.
“Emma is really buying into what we ask her to do,” Shazer said. “She’s sharing the ball, trusting her teammates and playing great defense. She plays almost the whole game and seems to never get tired.”
Mbandi and Eannarino are joined in the Panthers’ starting lineup by 5-7 junior forward Grace Jardini, 5-4 freshman guard Nina Caputo and 5-5 freshman forward Athena Ameredes.
“Grace is as consistent as they come,” Shazer said. “You ask her to do something one time and she gets it done. If it’s guarding the other team’s top player or sitting in the high post as a third option, Grace is an awesome kid who’s willing to do anything we ask of her.”
“And Nina scored a ton early in the season. She can hit the 3, get to the hoop and is sneaky in getting rebounds.”
Despite Ameredes’s size, she makes her presence felt in the frontcourt.
“Athena is the glue. She does all of the dirty work,” Shazer said. “She bangs the boards, giving up size and always fighting for us. She gets to the rim and finishes through contact. I love her energy. She’s doing a great job for us.”
A key reserve for Sewickley is Charlotte Morton, a 5-8 freshman guard.
“Charlotte is another freshman who’s playing a big role for us on the defensive end of the floor. She can also score,” Shazer said. “Charlotte is a gym rat with a high ceiling.”
The heart of the Panthers’ section schedule takes place in January with consecutive games against Springdale, St. Joseph, Leechburg, Western Beaver, Eden Christian, Aquinas Academy, Union, Western Beaver and Springdale again.
Sewickley rolled past the Dynamos, 60-8, on Jan. 3 as Caputo led the way with 13 points. Mbandi clicked for 11 and Ameredes added 10.
The Panthers improved to 2-2 in section play and 5-6 overall with their third consecutive victory.
“I’m happy where we are right now,” Shazer said. “Having four freshmen in our varsity rotation does have its challenges at times, but I think they are all playing great with tons of energy. They all support one another at practice.
“Hopefully, our schedule to start the season helps prepare us and we are playing our best in February. I’m proud of where we are as a team. It’s a fun group of girls who have the passion to win.”
Ameredes led four double-digit scorers for the Panthers in a 63-19 win Dec. 29 against Cambridge Springs at the Bentworth tournament.
Ameredes finished with 15 points, Morton contributed 11 while Mbandi and Eannarino both had 10.