Sewickley Academy Wins State Title in Overtime Upset of Constitution

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, March 24, 2017 | 5:53 PM

When Sewickley Academy trailed 16-4 to Constitution late in the first quarter of the Class 2A PIAA Championship, it appeared unlikely that the Panthers would pull off the upset. Sewickley Academy rallied, though, forcing overtime on a late 3-pointer, and then dominated the extra frame to prevail 68-63 at the Giant Center in Hershey. By knocking off the powerhouse squad from Philadelphia, Sewickley Academy (26-4) captured its third PIAA title, joining Panthers’ squads from 1997 and 2010 in the record books.

After facing a double-digit deficit in the first stanza, the Panthers outscored the Generals in the second and third quarters. Constitution (20-10) had the better of the play for most of the fourth quarter, though, and the Generals appeared to be closing in on their fourth state crown since 2012.

Six straight points from the Panthers, though, including a corner trifecta by Dave Groetsch deadlocked the contest. Once in the overtime, Sewickley Academy never trailed, with senior Justin Pryor and sophomore Nate Ridgeway leading the attack. Pryor finished with 21 points, tying the game-high, while Ridgeway contributed 16. Tamir Green paced the Generals with 21 points, while Maurice Waters provided 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Sewickley Academy head coach Win Palmer noted that his team’s resiliency was among the biggest factors in claiming gold.

“We were climbing the mountain all game long, and these kids just believed; they never gave up,” he proclaimed.

In the opening frame, Waters and the Generals quickly established their interior attack, as the 6-foot-6 senior notched 12 points. Constitution held a 12-point lead until Declan Hickton nailed a 3-pointer to bring his team within nine, 16-7, at the end of the quarter.

Spanning the end of the first quarter and the majority of the second quarter, the Panthers used an 18-5 run to take their first lead, at 22-21. Pryor was the catalyst, as he scored seven points. Constitution rallied to close out the period, however, as the District 12 representative capped the quarter with an 8-0 run.

As has been their trademark all season long, the Panthers elevated their play in the third quarter, outscoring Constitution 20-12. After being held scoreless in the first half, Chris Groetsch found his stroke, as he scored eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Pryor and reserve Isiah Warfield also were key factors in the Panthers’ highest-scoring quarter of the contest, but Waters re-established his presence in the third, too, scoring seven points.

With the teams knotted at 43-43 to begin the fourth, Constitution turned to the diminutive Green, who tallied a dozen in the period. His scoring propelled the Generals back in the lead, including a 59-53 advantage.

Ridgeway found his rhythm on both ends of the floor down the stretch, though, as he scored seven points in the quarter, and made a bevy of strong plays defending in the paint. With Constitution failing to convert its three foul shot attempts in the quarter, the Panthers had second life, and Groetsch’s shot from distance pulled his team even, at 59-59. Constitution played for the final shot, but Green took a deep and contested shot that was off the mark, which resulted in overtime.

After the teams exchanged buckets in the extra period, Pryor and Ridgeway capitalized on the Generals’ foul issues, as they combined to make five free throws. With Sewickley Academy holding a 66-63 lead, Ridgeway made a layup that sealed the outcome in the closing moments.

Ridgeway explained that the victory was the not only the culmination of an incredible season, but the realization of a lifelong goal.

“It feels amazing. I’ve been dreaming about this since I started playing basketball,” the forward said. “This is something that you always want to accomplish as a player in high school, and it’s a dream come true.”

In addition to Ridgeway and Pryor, Chris Groetsch netted eight points for the Panthers, while Hickton and Warfield each notched seven. In the defeat for the Generals, Hakim Hudson provided seven points.

The performance from the charity stripe was lopsided, as the Panthers shot 18-26, while the Generals were just 2-9. Additionally, both teams protected the basketball well, as Constitution committed nine turnovers, while Sewickley Academy incredibly had just three.

Score By Quarter:
Constitution                16 – 15 – 12 – 16 – 4 = 63
Sewickley Academy     7 – 16 – 20 – 16 – 9 = 68