Senior comes up big for Sewickley Academy

It didn't matter that Tom Droney was held in check during the WPIAL Class A championship game. Almost everyone knew the shot was going in.

Droney hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 9.8 seconds remaining, and Sewickley Academy survived a furious comeback from Lincoln Park to win its second consecutive championship with a wild, 49-48 victory Friday night against the Leopards at Palumbo Center.

Droney, who scored 40 points in last year's final, had 14 last night for the top-seeded Panthers (22-2), mostly because of Lincoln Park's defense, led by 6-foot-9 sophomore Devontae Watson, who had 13 blocks.

Droney, the 6-foot-6 senior headed to Davidson, got the ball behind the 3-point line with 10 seconds remaining and prepared to shoot.

"I just said, 'Oh, no,' " Lincoln Park coach Mark Javens said. "That's why he's a big-time player."

Droney's 3 came on the possession after Lincoln Park, which trailed by 15 at the start of the fourth quarter, took its first lead of the game, when Alex Kross hit a 3 with 36 seconds left to put the Leopards ahead, 48-46.

Sewickley then broke Lincoln Park's pressure and drove down the floor, and the ball ended up in Tyler Palmer's hands. Palmer, who had hit three 3-pointers to that point, attempted another this time but had it blocked by Watson. Palmer, though, fought for the ball and got it back.

"When Tyler got the ball, I said, 'Please find Droney,' " said Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer, Tyler's dad. "I didn't even know where Tom was, but I said, 'Find him, because he's going to make the shot.'

"And that's Tom. Tom's not Michael Jordan, but Michael Jordan was great at that. He could be struggling all game long, but (the other team) didn't want the ball in his hands at the end of the game."

Droney said he knew there weren't many fouls being called underneath, so he didn't try to attack the hoop as much as he did in last season's final. He had three field goals in the second half until Palmer looked up and passed to him.

"I was just hoping Tyler would get me the ball," Droney said. "Honestly, I knew it was going in. I could feel it."

Kross' 3 capped a 21-4 run Lincoln Park made in the fourth quarter. After Droney's shot, Kross got the final shot off, another 3-pointer, that bounced off the rim and the backboard before falling to floor as the buzzer sounded.

Chaquille Pratt, who came into the game averaging 27 points per game, led Lincoln Park with 23. Watson added 11.

Sophomore Carrington Motley scored all 10 of his points in the first half for Sewickley Academy, and Peter Schramm added 12.

A rematch between the teams might not have to wait until next season. Both qualified for the state playoffs.

"We still have a lot of basketball to be played yet," Javens said. "I said to my team, 'Keep this loss right in your gut' because you're probably going to see this team in the western final.' "