Lady Bucks dominate Lynett Tournament

Consecutive Mercy Rule games give Dunmore fifth tournament title in last six years.

By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com

SCRANTON – When you lose once a year, it’s easy to remember those losses.

Fueled by the memories of their two most recent losses, including their only loss in the last seven Lynett Memorial Tournaments, the Dunmore Lady Bucks put everything together in Wednesday’s tournament championship game.

With a suffocating defense, an efficient offense and the control of more than two-thirds of the game’s rebounds Dunmore smothered Scranton Prep, 46-17, in a meeting of unbeaten and highly regarded teams at the Lackawanna College Student Union.

“There was no Lynett Tournament last year and we lost to them sophomore year,” said Murray, who in her freshman season was part of a fifth straight Lynett title. “I think we all wanted to get this win tonight and bring the banner to our home court.”

Murray combined with fellow returning first-team, all-stater Ciera Toomey to lead the way in making it clear why the Lady Bucks are the No. 1 Big School in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings and just how far they can be above the rest of the pack when they are at their best.

Scranton Prep, the only team to beat Dunmore in the past two seasons, entered the game ranked No. 2.

Playing consecutive games against fellow unbeatens, Dunmore sent both games into the Mercy Rule running clock before the third quarter was over.

The Lady Bucks ran off 26 straight points for a 39-4, second-quarter lead against Scranton in Monday’s opener, a 65-30 rout. They held Scranton Prep without a field goal in the middle two quarters, outscoring the Classics 32-4 for a 44-11 lead.

“That’s always the goal, to speed up the game against any team,” Toomey said. “I think they like to do that to other teams, too.

“So, it was fun to do it to them and give them a little taste of their own medicine.”

With her mother Carrie coaching the team in the absence of head coach Ben O’Brien, Ciera Toomey was named Most Valuable Player with 45 points in the tournament, including 30 in the first round.

Murray, who has only been on the losing side once in each of her three high school seasons, also made the all-tournament team along with Scranton Prep’s Lizzie Neville, Scranton’s Finley Bittenbender and Holy Cross’ Giulianna Mazza.

The third-place game was not played. Holy Cross withdrew from the tournament Tuesday night because of COVID issues within the program.

Scranton Prep reached the final with Monday’s 56-32 romp over Holy Cross.

Dunmore 46, Scranton Prep 17

Dunmore forced four turnovers before allowing a shot and six turnovers in the first eight possessions.

“It felt great to just kind of get a steal and take it down and score on the other end,” Ciera Toomey said. “That was part of the game plan. They’re a great scoring team, so we knew immediately that we had to play super strong defense and continue with baskets on the other end.”

The defense, however, really got going when Scranton Prep was able to get off some shots.

“I think we got a great defensive game from everybody,” Murray said. “That was something we were looking to do coming into the game.

“Our team always feeds off the energy.”

The defensive plays helped energize the largest crowd the teams has played in front of during the last two COVID-disrupted seasons.

Toomey blocked a shot off the wall late in the first quarter, then 5-foot-4 freshman Sophia Talutto provided a spark by getting up to block two 3-point attempts during the second quarter.

“When she gets that block, everybody’s just so hyped up that she blocked someone,” Murray said.

With Talutto’s help, the Classics missed their last dozen tries from beyond the arc after Lizzie Neville hit a 3-pointer on Scranton Prep’s first shot.

Dunmore shot 50 percent in the championship game, led by Murray going 6-for-10 with one of the misses coming on a shot from beyond halfcourt at the buzzer.

Murray scored 17 points and hit three 3-pointers.

Toomey scored 15 points and had 9 rebounds to lead a 25-12 dominance on the boards.

Mia Blume led the team with five assists and three steals and scored four points by hitting two of the three shots she took.

Cadence Lewis and Talutto each hit a 3-pointer while scoring five points and dishing out three assists. Lewis joined Toomey with two blocks each.

Neville made Scranton Prep’s first two shots to keep the Classics within 7-5 midway through the first quarter, but the Classics made just one more basket in 20:48, Avery McNulty’s conversion of a Neville feed in the closing seconds of the first quarter.

Before that, Murray hit five straight points to make it 12-5.

Toomey had eight points and Talutto and Lewis provided consecutive 3-pointers in a streak of 16 straight points for a 34-8 lead in the third quarter.

The crusher came when Dunmore held the ball for the final 1:16 of the half then Lewis’ 3-pointer rolled over the front of the rim and through for the 3-pointer and the 20-point lead.

Neville had six points while Rita Collins added five points and six rebounds for the Classics (5-1).

Dunmore 65, Scranton 30

Toomey went 13-for-15 from the floor while scoring 30 points in 3 quarters in Monday’s semifinal victory.

Along with going 3-for-4 from 3-point range and making her only free throw, Toomey grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four assists and made two steals.

The Lady Bucks made more than half their shots from the floor overall and shot 44 percent from 3-point range.

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.

Scranton Prep 56, Holy Cross 42

Maria Belardi scored 15 points and Neville led the defense when Scranton Prep won Monday’s second game.

Neville had 12 points and 5 assists. She also made 6 of the team’s 16 steals while the Classics were forcing 20 turnovers.

Scranton Prep scored 25 points off those turnovers.

Collins had nine and McNulty eight to lead a 35-23 rebounding advantage for Scranton Prep.

Giulianna Mazza came off the bench to lead Holy Cross, which played without returning first-team, all-stater Kaci Kranson, with nine points.

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Photo Gallery: Check out Zachary Allen’s shots from the Dunmore-Scranton Prep championship game. https://nepasportsnation.com/dunmore-scranton-prep-girls-basketball-photo-gallery/