The month of December was a festive one for the Sewickley Academy boys basketball team.
Sewickley was one of the most dominant teams in the WPIAL, storming to an 8-0 record, winning by an average score of 70-32 and retaining the No. 1 ranking in Class 2A by Trib HSSN.
Oh yes, the Panthers also won three Section 2-2A games.
There were only a few undefeated boys teams in the WPIAL at the start of the new year, and Sewickley Academy was one of them.
“I am pleased with the growth and development of this team,” said Panthers coach Mike Iuzzolino. “They work hard, practice hard and are committed to getting better every day.
“We don’t talk about expectations; we talk about appreciation and opportunity to improve. In all honesty, we try to only focus on what we can control.”
The Panthers blew past Nazareth Prep, 82-23, Riverview, 82-32, Ambridge, 62-23, Pine-Richland, 59-53, Butler, 58-27, and, in section play, Eden Christian, 75-44, Brentwood, 84-41 and Winchester Thurston, 62-23.
The Panthers’ closest game was against Pine-Richland, a Class 6A opponent, on Dec. 22 in the Pittsburgh Holiday Classic at PPG Paints Arena.
Teamwork and a focus on defense have been the Panthers’ staples in 2025-26, similar to last season. The Panthers own one of the stingiest defenses in the WPIAL with their 32 ppg average through eight games.
Offensively, the wealth has been widely distributed.
“The great thing about this team is that on any given night, someone steps up,” Iuzzolino said. “We have already had four or five different leading scorers.”
Lucas Grimsley, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, scored 12 points against Nazareth Prep at the Rize Sports tournament and 6-8 junior forward Adam Ikamba chipped in with 11.
“I think the team is playing very well right now. We’ve been able to stack great practices and translate them into game settings on the physical and mental side of things,” Grimsley said. “I expected the team to work hard every single day in practice (this season), lock in mentally, execute the game plans and try to get 1% better every day. I knew if we did that, the results would follow.
“I expect us to continually stack great days, whether it’s practice days, recovery days or game days. Also, to attack every opportunity with a chip on our shoulder, ready to dominate whatever is in front of us. I’m grateful for every moment I’m able to be a part of the team or be around the guys and coaches, whether that’s on or off the court.”
Sophomore Mamadou Kane, a 6-8 forward, and Ikamba clicked for 15 and 12 points against Riverview in Sewickley’s second game of the Rize Sports tournament.
Kane led the way against Ambridge with 12 points; Ikamba added 10. Grimsley and Kane netted 14 points apiece against Eden Christian Academy.
Drew Steals, a 6-foot sophomore guard, finished with14 points against Brentwood; Grimsley and Kane added 11 apiece. Ikamba and Kane paced the Panthers with 15 and 12 points versus Winchester Thurston. And freshman guard Eric Craciun cashed in for 10 points against Butler at the Holiday Bash at North Allegheny.
Sewickley was sparked against Pine-Richland by Kane with 18 points. Ikamba tacked on 11 and 6-5 sophomore forward Rob Southall provided instant offense off the bench with eight points.
“This was our first time in PPG, and it was very exciting,” Ikamba said. “When we got here, we said that we needed to show what we could do.”
Trailing 47-43 early in the fourth quarter, Sewickley locked in on defense and forced tough shots. The Panthers went on a 11-0 run to go up 54-47 and eventually take home the win.