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The Dunmore girls basketball team had to overcome plenty adversity to finally play for a PIAA championship.
Once there Thursday night, the Bucks cleared the final hurdle.
North Carolina recruit Ciera Toomey turned in an outstanding effort in her final game in a Dunmore uniform. The 6-foot-4 senior scored 14 points and grabbed 21 rebounds — nearly outrebounding River Valley single-handedly — as Dunmore won the Class 3A state title with a 42-30 victory at Giant Center in Hershey.
The championship was the first for a District 2 girls team since now-closed Bishop Hoban won the 2A title in 1999. It was also the first for a Lackawanna League girls team since Riverside won the 2A championship in 1987. Dunmore had lost previously in state championship games in 1994, 2011 and 2019.
The journey was an arduous one for Dunmore (27-3), starting in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs in 2021. The Bucks were favored to win the title, only to have to forfeit a quarterfinal game against Nanticoke Area because of a COVID-19 situation. They won the D2-4A title in 2022, but Toomey suffered a knee injury during the game which required surgery.
Toomey increased her minutes slowly, playing a season-high 21 in a 58-19 victory over Lake-Lehman in the state quarterfinals. She played all 32 minutes Thursday night. Her 21 rebounds were only three fewer than the entire River Valley team.
Dunmore took the lead for good, 6-4, on an inside basket by Toomey at 3:46 of the first quarter. She helped seal the win with a block that led to an inside basket by freshman Jackie Brown for a 40-28 lead with 3:17 left in the fourth quarter.
A River Valley turnover resulted in Sophia Talutto hitting a floater for the Bucks’ final points at 2:31.
District 6 champion River Valley (29-3), a second-year school formed from the merger of Blairsville and Saltsburg high schools, made a few runs at the deficit. Dunmore answered all of them.
The Panthers pulled within 13-12 at 4:55 of the second quarter, but Dunmore went on an 8-0 run to take a 21-14 halftime lead.
Then, just before the midway point of the third quarter, consecutive 3-pointers Emilee Staats and Ava Persichetti moved River Valley within 27-23. Once again, Dunmore closed a quarter strongly and led 34-25 going into the fourth.
Persichetti’s 3-pointer to start the fourth was essentially River Valley’s last gasp. The Panthers didn’t score again until the 1:31 mark.
Talutto and Tristan Canavan each added 10 for Dunmore. River Valley’s other losses were both by one point.
PIAA Class 3A Championship
Dunmore 42, River Valley 30
RIVER VALLEY (30) — Persichetti 7 2-2 18, Staats 1 0-0 3, Artley 1 o-0 2, Kitner 1 3-4 5, Pynos 1 0-0 2. Totals 11 5-6 30.
DUNMORE (42) — Talutto 4 2-2 10, Dempsey 1 1-2 3, Lewis 1 0-2 3, Toomey 6 2-4 14, Canavan 5 0-0 10, Brown 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 5-10 42.
River Valley`6`8`11`5 — 30
Dunmore`11`10`13`8 — 42
Three-point goals — RV 3 (Persichetti 2, Staats). DUN 1 (Lewis).