Old Forge had trouble containing 6-foot-8 Mamadou Kane (23) on the boards in Friday’s state final loss to Sewickley Academy.
Tom Robinson | For Sunday Dispatch
Old Forge coaches and players hug after starters were removed from the lineup in Friday’s state final. Head coach J.J. Thomas is at right with Cameron Parker (4) while assistant Rick Notari is with Arthur Askew (23).
Tom Robinson | For Sunday Dispatch
HERSHEY — Sewickley Academy’s 6-foot-8 International frontcourt combination proved to be too much for Old Forge to overcome Friday afternoon when the Blue Devils fell to the Panthers 56-32 in the PIAA Class 2A boys basketball championship game at the Giant Center.
The District 2 champion Blue Devils played Sewickley Academy (30-1) on even terms in the second and fourth quarters, but the Panthers pulled away to begin the second half.
Ikamba, a junior from the Democratic Republic of Congo, scored the first six points of the third quarter as the Panthers opened with an 11-0 run to build a 35-17 lead.
Kane, a sophomore from Senegal, had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the second half. He finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Their presence helped Sewickley Academy to a 35-19 rebounding advantage and closed off the middle, making it difficult for the Old Forge offense to score from close range.
The Blue Devils held the Panthers to 33 percent shooting in the first half to stay within 24-17.
“We just didn’t make enough shots in the first half,” Blue Devils coach J.J. Thomas said. “For how good of defense we were playing, to be down six or seven points wasn’t ideal. We could have been a little closer.
“That start of the third quarter put us behind the eight ball.”
The deficit forced Old Forge out of a match-up zone and made the Blue Devils chase in man-to-man defense.
Logan Fanning, who blocked four shots, and Camren Krushnowski scored 10 points for Old Forge, which finished 22-7. Cameron Parker added nine points.
The state final appearance was the first for Old Forge since the 1932 team won the title by beating Erie Strong Vincent in an era when the PIAA determined just one champion and was not split into classes.
