EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Monday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson and Ben Magnotta, NEPABasketball.com
SCRANTON – Jason Shields and Ciera Toomey delivered on the biggest December stage District 2 basketball has to offer.
In the openers of each Lynett Memorial Tournament Monday at the Lackawanna College Student Union, Shields and Toomey put on a show while leading their teams into Wednesday’s championship games.
Shields posted a triple-double in Scranton’s 71-60 victory over Dunmore to send the Knights into Wednesday’s boys final against Scranton Prep, which defeated Holy Cross, 54-40.
Toomey missed just 2 shots while scoring 30 points in 3 quarters in Dunmore’s 65-30 romp over Scranton to make it to Wednesday’s girls final against Scranton Prep, which routed Holy Cross, 56-22.
Shields, the returning Lackawanna League Division 1 Player of the Year, according to NEPABasketball.com, had 19 points, 16 rebounds (13 defensive) and 10 assists.
Toomey was 13-for-15 from the floor, including 3-for-4 on 3-pointers, and made her only free throw. A first-team, Class 4A, all-state selection last season as a sophomore, Toomey also had nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Dunmore ran off 26 straight points in the first half of the opener to take a 39-4 lead.
The Lady Bucks made more than half their shots from the floor overall and shot 44 percent from 3-point range.
Moriah Murray added five 3-pointers while finishing with 20 points, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots and 2 steals.
Finley Bittenbender went 4-for-8 from long range while leading Scranton with 14 points.
Maria Belardi led the way with 15 points as defending champion Scranton Prep rolled in the second game.
Lizzie Neville added 12 points, 6 steals and 5 assists. She led a defense that made 16 steals and forced 20 turnovers that it converted into 25 points.
Giulianna Mazza came off the bench to lead Holy Cross, which played without returning first-team, all-stater Kaci Kranson, with nine points.
Scranton placed all five starters in double figures in scoring in the boys opener, but it was Shields who stood out from that group. He set up teammates with long outlet passes off his defensive rebounds to ignite fastbreaks and also got assists in the half-court offense when he played unselfishly while drawing the attention of the Dunmore defense.
Joshua Williams, who had 11 rebounds, and A.J. Dinterman, who made 3 steals, each scored 14 points. Arvel Chandler added 11 points and Fuquan Hart 10.
The Bucks led the unbeaten Knights into the third quarter with the help of Adriel DeNaples making his first six 3-pointers and seven total in a 26-point effort.
Scranton Prep ran out to an 11-2 lead on the way to its victory.
Robert Rossi and Noah Sorensen scored 13 points each while James Pettinato went 4-for-5 to added 10 points. Rossi grabbed seven rebounds while Sorensen and Pettinato had six each.
Hayden Hosie led Holy Cross with 17 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Earlier cancellations for COVID and postponements that happened during the day over weather concerns wiped out much of Monday’s schedule.
In other boys games:
Mid Valley and Holy Redeemer each won in boys tournaments reduced to three teams to reach the final against a team with a bye.
Mid Valley handled Lakeland, 53-27, to get to the final of the Peter Turonis/NBT Bank Classic against host Valley View Wednesday night.
Holy Redeemer ripped Hanover Area, 79-52, to get to Wednesday’s final of the McGrane Tournament at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre against Crestwood.
Gabe Tanner scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half when Mid Valley outscored Lakeland, 31-8, to break the game open.
The Chiefs outscored the Spartans, 7-2, over the final two minutes of the half to close within, 22-19.
Mid Valley then opened the third quarter with 13 straight points while holding Lakeland scoreless for more than 7 minutes.
Justice Shoats scored 29 points in 3 quarters to get Holy Redeemer to a 66-33 lead. Matt Prociak added 18 points.
Melikah Gonzales led Hanover Area with 12 points.
In other girls games: Lakeland handed Mid Valley its first loss, 56-32, in the Lou Camoni Memorial Tournament; Pittston Area handled Wyoming Seminary, 53-29, and Wyoming Area host routed Old Forge, 61-27, in the Anthony “Badger” Marseco Memorial Tournament; and Hanover Area edged Blue Ridge, 37-35, in a non-league game.
Lakeland will play host Valley View Wednesday at 5 for the Camoni Tournament title.
Skylar Arendt went 17-for-18 from the foul line while scoring 23 points to lead the Lady Chiefs. Angelica Nowak made four 3-pointers while adding 17 points.
Arendt had 13 points and Nowak 11 when Lakeland took a 28-12 halftime lead.
Kallie Booth scored 14 of her 25 points in the first quarter when Pittston Area opened a 17-5 lead.
Jocelyn Williams led Wyoming Area with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Morgan Janeski had all 11 of her points in the first quarter when the Lady Warriors took a 24-7 lead.
Talia Piragas led Old Forge with 16 points.
Ally Sheridan hit her second, last-second, game-winning shot of the season to lift Hanover Area to its victory.
