ROSS TWP. — After a nip and tuck PIAA playoff battle Wednesday night in a 44-41 win over Ridgway, Sewickley Academy boys’ basketball coach Win Palmer had different plans in mind for the quarterfinal matchup with Jeannette Saturday at North Hills High School.
“I did tell the team we had to have fun this game,” said Palmer. “Wednesday was a nail-biter, and the goal there was to survive and advance, so this game had to be fun.”
It was just that as the Panthers, the defending Class 2A state basketball champions, never trailed and bettered the Jayhawks, the defending state football champion, 64-56.
However, it wasn’t the score that made the game fun to junior Nate Ridgeway, the game’s high scorer with 18 points — although each team had four players score in double figures.
“It wasn’t fun because we were ahead — it was the other way around,” said Ridgeway. “We were ahead because we were having fun.
“We have so much fun when we play together. The game against Ridgway wasn’t fun, but we took a little time off to be mentally fresh and then had a tough practice (Friday). We knew we had to bring it today.”
The preparation schedule obviously worked as Ridgeway hit a three-pointer to open the scoring, and by the time he hit his second trey in the final minute of the quarter, Sewickley led 19-8. In between his three-pointers, the 6-6 Ridgeway had a dunk as he matched up against 6-4 Anthony Johnson.
“Jeannette is as athletic a team as we’ve played all year,” Palmer said. “Johnson is as good an offensive player as we’ve played, too, so we wanted to take the game to him on defense. When we got the matchup with Nate, we were going to him.”
The two teams definitely knew each other, as this was the third straight year the Panthers have defeated Jeannette in the playoffs, although the last two years have been in the WPIAL playoffs. As a result, it wasn’t a surprise when Jeannette cut the lead to eight at the half (34-26).
In the second half, Sewickley built the lead to as many as 15 (49-34 on David Groetsch’s basket to open the fourth quarter), but the Panthers knew the game wasn’t settled. A three-pointer by Jeannette’s Tre Cunningham cut the gap to a single possession at 54-51 with 3:11 left before Sewickley pulled away.
“We’ve been a good third quarter team all season,” said Palmer. “We got the ball moving better than we had in the first half, and the guys are very confident.
“Their crowd supported them and turned the game emotionally, but we handled it well. I think my three sophomores, especially, handled it well. We have five players who can all handle the ball well and shoot well, I don’t think a lot of teams have that.”
The Panthers also benefitted from balanced scoring behind Ridgeway as Isaiah Smith had 16 points, Groetsch 12 and Isaiah Warfield had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The fifth starter, Jett Roessing, had five straight points in the final two minutes to ice the game.
“This playoff run is as much fun as last year,” Ridgeway said. “We don’t have as many seniors as we did last year so the team is different, but the sophomores got to play in the state championship last year.
“We just have to keep focusing.”
And having fun, too.