H.S. Girls Basketball: Lake-Lehman eliminated in PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals

Mar. 17—SCRANTON — Less than two minutes into Friday night's game and Lake-Lehman had a major problem.

Not on the scoreboard. Dunmore had scored the game's only two points. The issue was on the court where Lehman's Lia Keefe grimaced in obvious pain, grabbing her right leg just below the knee.

The PIAA Class 3A girls basketball quarterfinal game had ended for the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 MVP. A short time later, Dunmore ended Lehman's chances to advance to the semifinals.

Behind 6-foot-4 North Carolina recruit Ciera Toomey, Dunmore seized control midway through the second quarter on the way to a 58-19 victory at Scranton High School.

District 2 third seed Lehman ended its season at 25-6, which included a 51-40 overtime win against Dunmore on Jan. 28. District 2 champion Dunmore (25-3) will play in the semifinals Monday against District 3 champion Lancaster Catholic (26-2), which walloped District 4 champ Mount Carmel 47-21.

"We definitely wanted to have a rematch with (Lehman)," Dunmore coach Carrie Toomey said. "I feel horrible with what happened to Lia Keefe. I wished that didn't happen, but you just never know. It happened to us last year."

The night was a perfect storm for Lehman, starting with the loss of Keefe. The Black Knights starters played heavy minutes throughout the season, with the team using just one reserve in close games.

"I think that kind of got us off track, off our game," said Lehman senior Hailey Kline, who believed the injury occurred when Keefe collided with a teammate. "It was completely different. She's always out there. She's the catalyst of our team. She runs our offense and the one that gets it started.

"It was hard to see that. We're just praying she's OK."

Then there was Toomey, playing extended minutes for the first time since a knee injury in the District 2 Class 4A championship game in 2022 required surgery. She finished with a game-high 18 points, eight rebounds and eight blocked shots in about 25 minutes. She played less than three minutes in the first meeting and didn't score.

"I felt good," said Toomey, whose mom is the coach. "At one point, I looked up at the scoreboard and it was almost halftime and I was like, 'I haven't come out yet.' That hasn't happened yet this season."

Toomey and Tristan Canavan scored early and often in the paint, combining for all of the Bucks' 12 first-quarter points.

"We mentally made mistakes," Lehman coach Charlie Lavan said. "We go over that stuff all the time. You got to have your head on a swivel, you have to see who's floating behind you. We didn't do that. Canavan, she had 10 of her points right around the rim. And Toomey we didn't box out."

When Lehman curtailed the Bucks somewhat inside, Dunmore's Cadie Lewis connected on three 3-pointers in the second quarter.

When the first-half barrage ended, Dunmore had shot 14-of-28 from the field and out-rebounded Lehman 16-7 to take a 32-13 lead into halftime.

Lehman had just two field goals in the second half. Brenna Hunt converted a steal into a layup early in the third quarter, only to see Dunmore run off the next 19 points. The other basket was a 3-pointer by freshman reserve Morgan Breslford just before the final buzzer.

PIAA Class 3A Quarterfinals

Dunmore 58, Lake-Lehman 19

LAKE-LEHMAN (19) — Kline 0 1-2 1, Hunt 3 0-0 7, Wilson 1 2-2 5, Keefe 0 0-0 0, Jenkins 0 0-0 0, Biscotto 1 0-0 3, Oliver 0 0-0 0, Morgan 0 0-2 0, Chipego 0 0-0 0, Corcoran 0 0-0 0, Perlis 0 0-0 0, James 0 0-0 0, Wallace 0 0-0 0, Breslford 1 0-0 3. Totals 6 3-6 19.

DUNMORE (58) — Talutto 4 0-0 9, Am.Dempsey 0 0-0 0, Lewis 4 1-2 12, Toomey 8 0-0 16, Canavan 6 2-2 14, Brown 1 0-0 3, Summa 0 0-0 0, Pacewicz 0 0-0 0, Monahan 1 0-0 2, Brier 0 0-0 0, Al.Dempsey 0 0-0 0, Waters 0 0-0 0, Conte 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 3-4 58.

Lake-Lehman'5'8'2'4 — 19

Dunmore '12'20'15'11 — 58

Three-point goals — LL 3 (Hunt, Biscotto, Breslford). DUN 5 (Talutto, Lewis 3, Brown).