PIAA 6A Semifinal: Imhotep 51, Father Judge 48

In the third meeting between the two teams and a rematch of last year's state semifinal, Imhotep avenged its loss from a year ago with a hard-fought come-from-behind win over Father Judge. Junior swingman [player_tooltip player_id='1406792' first='Zaahir' last='Muhammad-Gray'] and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1888747' first='Latief' last='Lorenzano-White'] (Drexel) tied for a team-high with 13 points apiece while Merrimack commit [player_tooltip player_id='2525533' first='Rocco' last='Westfield'] scored a game-high 17 for Judge. The Panthers advance to take on Central Dauphin in Saturday night's state title game.    Staring the end of his season in the face after a slow start and a nearly double-digit deficit, Muhammad-Gray flipped a switch and simply refused to allow Imhotep to lose. Having played more of a wing role throughout the year, the Panthers made an adjustment to feature their junior swingman in the post, where he went to work in punishing a less physical Judge rotation. Muhammad-Gray showed great patience while making reads as both a scorer and as a smart passer out of double teams, setting teammates up for a handful of easy looks off slick interior passes. He would finish with a team-high 13 points to clinch a state championship appearance.     With his high school career hanging in the balance, Lorenzano-White put together a clutch two-way performance to ensure he would live to see another day in an Imhotep uniform. The senior swingman delivered 13 points, equaling a team-high, making a series of key plays on both ends of the floor. He was effective spacing out to the perimeter as a 3-point shooter off the catch, setting up opportunities to showcase his first step getting downhill and explosive athleticism as a finisher at the rim. His steal and dunk to take the lead back for the Panthers late in the fourth quarter was arguably the biggest momentum swing of the game. The southpaw continues to track as a key building block for Drexel with his two-way ability on the wing.     Providing an important spark for a Panther team that was offensively-challenged for stretches of the game, Smith stepped up with 10 crucial points while controlling the point of attack on both ends of the floor. The sophomore lead guard delivered a pair of timely 3's, showcasing a smooth and confident stroke from the perimeter. He got into the midrange to display his trademark pullup game and was effective using his handle and straight-line burst to put pressure on the paint going downhill. His ball pressure was also key in forcing a handful of late Judge turnovers to help Imhotep recapture the lead in the final minutes. Smith's no-nonsense two-way approach should translate nicely to the next level when his time comes.     Going out with a spirited effort in his last high school game, Westfield did all he could to put the Crusaders in position to play for back-to-back state titles. The senior guard came alive late in the game, scoring 16 of his game-high 17 points in the second half. Westfield delivered a trio of 3s, including a buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter. He was also effective using his size and strength to work toward the basket and convert tough buckets over smaller Imhotep guards. Westfield struggled at times with the Panthers' swarming ball pressure but his tough-nosed impact was the key toward keeping Judge in the game until the final buzzer.     Closing out a junior season that saw him break out as much as any prospect in the state, Adedeji was consistently effective taking advantage of an undersized Imhotep frontcourt, with foul trouble being all that came in his way throughout the night. The junior forward went to work around the basket from the opening whistle, fighting hard for multiple efforts to establish deep position and playing patiently after the catch before finishing with soft touch. His continued emergence as an interior threat was arguably the biggest key toward Judge meeting its lofty expectations coming off PCL and state championships from a year ago. Adedeji has still yet to incorporate his full inside-out arsenal, leaving Judge opponents fearful of what could still be left to come as the calendar now flips toward his senior year.     Popping off the bench to provide a huge momentum swing in the second half, Brown's energetic two-way impact proved to arguably be the difference in the game. The lanky swingman delivered all eight of his points during a crucial third-quarter run that saw Imhotep establish its first real momentum of the game. Brown was effective using his length and athleticism to sneak toward the rim for a trio of tough finishes, including a pair through contact that earned him trips to the line for successful and-one opportunities. His defensive effort was also key to help compensate for a lack of true size in the Panther frontcourt. Games like this are often decided by unlikely heroes and Brown proved to be the one on this night.

In the third meeting between the two teams and a rematch of last year's state semifinal, Imhotep avenged its loss from a year ago with a hard-fought come-from-behind win over Father Judge. Junior swingman Zaahir Muhammad-Gray Zaahir Muhammad-Gray 6'7" | SF Imhotep | 2027 State PA and senior Latief Lorenzano-White Latief Lorenzano-White 6'4" | SF Imhotep | 2026 State PA (Drexel) tied for a team-high with 13 points apiece while Merrimack commit Rocco Westfield Rocco Westfield 6'1" | SG Father Judge | 2026 State PA scored a game-high 17 for Judge. The Panthers advance to take on Central Dauphin in Saturday night's state title game.