By Steve Svetovich
Dunmore Lady Bucks senior forward Tristan Canavan only knows one way to play basketball – hustle,
The scrappy senior helped lead the Dunmore girls (21-4) to the District 2 Class 3A championship, a heartbreaking 51-46 loss to Holy Redeemer (21-5) Sunday, February 25, at Mohegan Sun Arena. Sophia Talutto led the Lady Bucks with 18 points in the loss. Leena Conte added nine points.
Tristan scored five points in the district final, but played a huge role in Dunmore’s district semifinal win over Western Wayne, 62-41.
She scored 12 points in the district semifinal. She went 100 percent from the paint, going 5-for-5.
Talutto scored 25 points in the win over Western Wayne, Jaclyn Brown added 16.
The Lady Bucks defeated Riverside, 53-27, in the district quarterfinal.
The Lady Bucks won the PIAA state championship last season with a 42-30 win over River Valley in the 3A title game.
It was Dunmore’s first state championship.
“It was very surreal winning the state championship last year,” said Tristan. “We had a lot of community support behind us. It was a once in a lifetime experience.”
Dunmore’s loss to Holy Redeemer snapped an 18-game winning streak for the Lady Bucks. Dunmore defeated Holy Redeemer last year to win the district championship. The Lady Bucks had won four of the last six district titles in Class 3A prior to the loss. The two prior years the Lady Bucks did not win the Class 3A title, they were forced to play in Class 4A due to their success in the state playoffs.
Daughter of Wayne and Faith Canavan, Tristan is a four-year member of the Lady Bucks basketball team. She is a two-year starter. She averaged 10.2 points and eight rebounds per game this season.
Multi-talented, Tristan also excels on the Dunmore softball and volleyball teams.
She was named to the All-Region girls volleyball team this past season. Tristan led Dunmore to the District 2 Class 2A volleyball championship match. She led the team with 191 kills, which included a season-high 19 in the District 2 Class 2A semifinals, and contributed 31 digs, 77 service points and 45 aces.
In her volleyball career at Dunmore, Tristan had 308 kills, 38 digs, 139 service points and 70 aces. She is a middle hitter on the volleyball team.
She is a standout catcher on the Dunmore softball team. Tristan hit five homers last season.
The hard-working senior also excels in the classroom. She has an impressive 3.8 academic average. Her best subject is Math. Tristan is also a member of TACT, SADD and the Art Club.
She enjoys listening to music in her spare time and would like to see Bruno Mars and country singer Morgan Wallen in concert.
Tristan said her parents taught her a lot. “They teach me to always work hard and that teamwork is very important. They teach me to be respectful and never be selfish.”
Tristan, who always battles on the court, said she learned similar values from Dunmore Lady Bucks basketball coach Carrie Bowen Toomey. “She tells us to be respectful at all times and teaches teamwork and leadership skills. She tells us to always be there for our teammates.”
She talked about what it takes to excel at the forward position in high school basketball. “You really need to put a lot of work in. Keep working hard. It’s a tough position.”
Tristan is proud of the continued success of the Dunmore Lady Bucks basketball program despite the district title loss this season. “We are successful each year because the community and school is always behind us. We just have so much support coming from everywhere.”
Always boxing out, setting picks, fighting for rebounds, or diving for loose balls, Tristan said the expectation for the Lady Bucks is always to go as far as possible. “We always work hard in practice and think we are going to get the job done,”
The Dunmore Lady Bucks have an overall record of 497-63 in the last 19 seasons. Dunmore has won 19 championships in various classifications.
Tristan said she wants to play sports in college, but is not sure where yet. She thinks she will study criminology or psychology with aspirations of becoming a detective.
Humble yet confident, she has enjoyed her experience at Dunmore as she approaches her final months at the school.
“I love it at Dunmore,” she said. “I love being a part of the teams. You get to know everyone in the school. Dunmore is a very close community. Everyone has your back.”