Although Jeannette was the top seed and the defending WPIAL Class 2A Champion, the Jayhawks were the underdog in Friday’s title game against Sewickley Academy. Drastically undersized against the No. 2 Panthers, the Jayhawks likely needed to shoot well and convert on the fast break to compensate. A cold-shooting performance doomed Jeannette’s hopes for a repeat, though, as Sewickley Academy prevailed 52-38 in the WPIAL Class 2A Championship at the Petersen Events Center.

The Panthers set the tone just seconds into the contest, as 6-foot-8 Adam Ikamba threw down a thunderous dunk to put his team in the lead. Sewickley never relinquished that advantage the rest of the way, as Ikamba’s six points in the first quarter helped give the Panthers a 16-13 lead after the opening stanza.

While Jeannette (22-2) leading scorer Markus McGowan began to find his offensive groove in the second, netting six points, the Jayhawks went just 3-of-11 in the frame, while Sewickley Academy was 4-of-7 from the field and also hit all four foul shots. As a result, Sewickley took a 29-21 lead into halftime.

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While the Jeannette defense limited the Panthers (25-1) to eight points in the third, the Jayhawks could not trim into their deficit. McAllister Steele, playing extensive minutes with Xavier Odorisio-Farrow in foul trouble, produced four points in the third, but the Jayhawks scored just eight points.

Although Kymon’e Brown’s trifecta in the fourth pulled his team within five points, the Panthers responded with a 9-2 run to push their edge to double-digits. Mamadou Kane, who also stands 6-foot-8, made a pair of hoops, and Caiden Battles, who had been scoreless through three quarters, contributed seven points in the fourth. Sewickley Academy sealed the outcome by knocking down 8-of-10 foul shots in the fourth.

While the Panthers made nearly 55 percent of their shots from the field, and 14-of-18 from the stripe, the Jayhawks were limited to 38.1 percent from the floor, including 1-of-9 from distance, while converting just 5-of-13 foul shots.

McGowan and Odorisio-Farrow, who played just 15 minutes, tied for the team lead with 10 points apiece, while Brown had five points, three assists, and a pair of steals.

Ikamba notched 14 points and nine points for Sewickley Academy, while Kane, who fouled out, posted 14 points and seven boards.

As a result, the Panthers claimed their sixth WPIAL crown, and first since going back-to-back in 2017 and 18. Conversely, Jeannette was denied its third district title.

The postgame handshake line resulted in a brief scuffle before both teams accepted their medals.

Both teams will enter the PIAA Class 2A bracket beginning next Saturday.