Athlete of the Month: Ciera Toomey

Posted on April 5, 2023 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

It was a long road back, but well worth it.

Dunmore senior standout center Ciera Toomey can say that for the rest of her life.

Daughter of Patrick and Carrie Toomey, Ciera came back from a right knee ACL and meniscus tear suffered last season to lead the Dunmore Lady Bucks into the state playoffs culminating with the team’s first PIAA Class 3A title win, 42-30, over River Valley, Thursday, March 23, at the Giant Center in Hershey.

The 6-4 stalwart led the Lady Bucks with 14 points, five steals and career high 21 rebounds in the state title win.

It was even more gratifying not only to come back after months of rehabilitation from the right knee ACL and meniscus tear, but to be a part of the Lady Bucks first ever state title with her mom, Carrie Bowen Toomey, as her coach.

This was her mom’s first year as the Lady Bucks basketball coach after serving as an assistant for several years under Ben O’Brien who left to lead the University of Scranton Lady Royals. Her mom was an All-State basketball player for Dunmore and former Player of the Year. Ciera’s mom was also a basketball standout at Franklin and Marshall College. Ciera’s older sister Victoria was an all-state basketball player at Dunmore.

“Winning the state title felt so much better because I did it with my mom,” Ciera said. “Winning the title felt so good. My mom instilled a lot of confidence in us. Now she can breath a sigh of relief. We finally won it all.

“Winning the state title was surreal. I was in disbelief when the final buzzer sounded.

“It’s about time we did this. We made history. We were all really excited. Everyone had a part of it. It was just so exciting. We worked so hard for this and it was all worth it.”

Teammates Sophia Talutto and Tristan Canavan added 10 points each in the state title win.

Ciera scored 13 points in Dunmore’s 43-37 win over Lancaster Catholic in the PIAA Clas 3A semifinal win, Monday, March 20, at Martz Hall, Pottsville.

A dominant shot blocker, Ciera scored 16 points in Dunmore’s 58-19 PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal route over Lake Lehman. She scored 14 points in the second round state playoff win, 52-34, over Imhotop Charter School. Dunmore’s first round state playoff win came over Bloomsburg, 64-33.

Ciera helped lead the Lady Bucks to a fifth district title in the past six years, 50-30, over Holy Redeemer, Saturday, March 4, at Mohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes Barre. Ciera scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds in the district title win. Sophia Talutto led Dunmore with 21 points. Tristan Canavan had 10 rebounds and Jackie Brown scored seven clutch points off the bench.

“We had so many contributions from a lot of different players this year,” Ciera said. “Sophia Talutto is one of my best friends. She really stepped up her game and became a leader on this team. I was so happy for her success.

“Cadie Lewis played great defense and usually guarded the opposition’s best offensive threat. She played great defense. She doesn’t get enough credit for what she does. She made some big shots too.

“Tristan Canavan was very good for us all year. She played tough on both ends of the court. She hustled and gave us strong defense and scoring.

“Amanda Dempsey played a key role as a freshman both off the bench and starting. Jackie Brown became a key contributor as a freshman.

“All of my teammates really stepped it up a notch when I was out. They all had a big part in this.”

The hard-working, talented senior is also a key member of the golf team at Dunmore. She is a member of TACT, SADD, the Service Club and Art Club at Dunmore.

Well-spoken and articulate, Ciera has an impressive 3.86 grade point average at Dunmore. She was named Times-Tribune athlete of the week after the state title win.

Ciera is a member of ESPN HoopGurlz 2023 Class, ranked No. 4 nationally (No. 1 ranked Post). She was PIAA first-team basketball All-State in her sophomore and junior years and third-team All-State as a freshman.

She was named All-Regional for basketball in her sophomore and junior years.,

She was named to the Lackawanna All-League basketball teams in her first three seasons. She was the Lynett Tournament MVP in 2021.

She was on the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Award Watch List for the past three years. She was Hoop Group Summer AAU MVP in 2021 and won a League Team Title.

The strong-minded scholar/athlete said it was not easy coming back from her injury, but she persisted to get ready for the playoffs. “It took a lot of time to get back, but I slowly worked my way back on the court and gained more and more confidence. I felt better and better with each game. We didn’t want to be a runner-up this year. We wanted to win it all. I wanted to get back on the court to be a part of this team winning a state title.”

Ciera said her favorite academic subject is psychology. She will study environmental science at the University of North Carolina where she will play basketball on a scholarship.

“I am really looking forward to it,” she said. “It’s going to be a different experience. But I am ready to shift my focus on it. I am already in touch with all of my coaches and future teammates there. I can’t wait to play basketball there.”

Ciera said she will never forget her years at Dunmore and the state championship she will always cherish. “The state championship was so exciting. There is no better way to go out. This town is so special. Dunmore will always have a special place in my heart. I will be going on to the next chapter, but there is no better way to finish high school. Dunmore has been a tremendous, special experience for me.”

Former Dunmore standout named coach of Lady Bucks

Posted on September 7, 2022 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Carrie Bowen Toomey is a basketball lifer.

And a former all-state basketball player for Dunmore.

For years, she has been one of the biggest supporters of the Dunmore basketball programs.

For the past three years she served as assistant basketball coach at Dunmore under Ben O’Brien who last month accepted a position as coach of the University of Scranton Lady Royals.

So it was not a surprise when Bowen Toomey, 51, was named last month as the new coach of the Dunmore Lady Bucks.

“It’s an honor to be chosen,” she said. “I prepared for this for an entire lifetime. I have more to give and I’m very excited.”

Her daughter Ciera Toomey will be a senior forward/center for the Lady Bucks this season. She will begin the season out with a knee injury, but is expected to play under her mom at some point during the season.

Carrie Bowen Toomey poses with her husband, Patrick Toomey, at right, as their daughter Ciera, at center, celebrates her 1000th point with the Ladies Buck basketball team. Carrie is taking over as head coach at DHS this season.

She is committed to play basketball for the University of North Carolina the following year. She averaged over 18 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 67.2 percent from the floor as a junior for Dunmore.

“We are hoping she plays,” her mom said. “If she does, it will be later in the season. She was thrilled about me being named coach though. I have coached her since she started playing basketball. We anticipate she can eventually play this year.”

Another daughter, Victoria Toomey, was a four-year basketball standout at Dunmore and is currently a senior center at Rider University.

Bowen Toomey was a four-year starter for Franklin and Marshall College. At 5-10, she played forward, was a strong rebounder and possessed a terrific jump hook shot.

The Diplomats were MAC-South champs in 1990 with a 25-5 record. During the next three years, Franklin and Marshall won the MAC-Southwesf title, losing in the league championship game each year.

Bowen Toomey was named to the MAC-Southwest Conference first team three years in a row and was the league’s MVP in her junior and senior years. She was named to the ECAC South first All Conference team her junior and senior years.

She was named to the WBCA Mid-Atlantic first team and received honorable mention All-American honors by the WBA. Gazette, the women’s basketball magazine, named her third-team All-American.

She averaged 13.6 points as a college freshman. She improved to 13.8 as a sophomore, 16.8 as a junior, and 20.1 points per game as a senior.

She finished her Franklin and Marshall career second in school history in scoring with 1,686 points, fourth in rebounding with 821, third in assists with 276, third in steals with 226, fourth in 3-point goals with 54, and third in blocks with 141.

She is in Franklin and Marshall’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

She played professional basketball in England for one year with the Avesta Sheffield Hatters in the English National League. She averaged 14.0 points per game there.

“Being named coach of the Dunmore Lady Bucks is the biggest thrill of my coaching career,” she said. “It’s a great program and we all understand what comes with it,

“Our goal every year here at Dunmore is to win the Lynett title, the district title and the state title.

“I want to make a smooth transition from what Ben did here. And then I want to continue the level of play and success Dunmore is used to every season.”

Bowen-Toomey is a member of the Northeastern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. While playing for Dunmore, she was the Female Athlete of the Year in 1988-89. She was Scranton Times All-Regional Player of the Year in 1988-89.

She was a part of four straight Lackawanna League South titles as a four-year starter for Dunmore. She was a big part of Dunmore’s District II title in 1986-87. She earned four straight Girls’ Lackawanna Southern Division first-team all-star selections while scoring 1,635 career points and hauling down 1,020 career rebounds.

She is the first female league president in the Dunmore Biddy Basketball League where she coached and served as board member.

She served as assistant basketball coach at Bishop O’Hara from 1997 to 2001 and coached the NEPA Elite AAU team and NEPA Flames AAU team for JB Hoops. She also has experience as a basketball trainer.

“This is a labor of love for me,” she said. “It’s a big job. We all know that. But it’s what I have been doing for my entire life.”

Athlete of the Month: Moriah Murray

Posted on March 3, 2021 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore junior Moriah Murray scored her 1,000th career point and three weeks later led her team to another Lackawanna League Division III title.

And then COVID-19 placed a pause in the fate of the Dunmore girls basketball program in the hands of District administrators.

At press time, a total of three Dunmore girls players tested positive for COVID and because of the timing and state mandated quarentine protocols, the earliest the Lady Bucks can return to action is Friday, March 5. The team is currently seeded second in the Class 4A playoffs, but the dates initially posted by District 2 call for that bracket to begin play Thursday, March 4.

Eight other Lsckawanna League teams are also on pause due to COVID protocols.

Daughter of Joe Murray and Lynn Plotkin, Moriah said she and her teammates remain prepared, focused and ready for the district playoffs.

“We are on pause now with nine teams affected due to COVID,” she said. “We won the league title and we’ve been practicing hard. We will be ready for everything. We can’t wait to get going again. We will take it game by game.”

Moriah hit five 3-pointers and scored 21 points as No. 2 Dunmore clinched the Lackawanna League Division III title with a 71-35 win over No. 6 Old Forge Wednesday, February 24. Ciera Toomey added 17 points and Cadence Lewis added 10 points for the Lady Bucks.

Three weeks prior, Moriah reached a personal milestone scoring her 1,000th career point in a 71-45 win over Holy Cross Wednesday, February 3. The junior standout reached the milestone on a 3-pointer in the third quarter. Moriah scored 15 points in her milestone game. Toomey led the Lady Bucks with 19 points. Anna Talutto added 18.

The Lady Bucks are 16-1 under veteran coach Ben O’Brien going into playoff action.

Moriah took a pause to reflect on her 1,000th point. “It was kinda crazy,” she said.

“You don’t think about the points, but rather about your teammates and coaches who put you in a position to accomplish something like that. My heart stopped when the buzzer sounded… It was just such a great feeling.”

Moriah has a 92 academic average. Her best academic subject is math. She committed to play college basketball at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She will play there with Riverside standout basketball player Kylie Lavelle, another junior and 1,000-point scorer who is a good friend.

“I am undecided on a major, but I am looking forward to playing basketball with Kylie at Drexel. She is a very good friend. We played in AAU leagues together over the years. I am looking forward to the type of intensity of basketball at that level.”

Moriah has learned a lot about the game of basketball from her dad. She started at a young age playing in AAU leagues. She said her parents always taught her to “be myself.”

Confident and articulate, Moriah said her Lady Bucks team has a simple goal. “Get into the districts and win the district playoffs. Then win the state playoffs. We were on our way last year when COVID struck. We feel there is a need to finish off a goal. And we are ready for it. We want a state championship. We don’t want to come up short for any reason. We’ll go game to game until we reach our goal.”

“I am not even thinking about college now. I am excited about that down the road. But right now I am focusing on Dunmore and our team.”

The junior scholar-athlete is a member of the French Club and TACT at Dunmore. She is also a key member of the Lady Bucks softball team as a shortstop and pitcher.

Moriah started playing in AAU leagues at age seven, “It was such a great experience,” she said. “I picked up so many skills and moves from the other girls in the AAU leagues.”

Moriah said she loves Dunmore and her friends and teammates. “I just love the whole Dunmore experience,” she said. “I love the whole town of Dunmore. It is such a small borough. Everyone is so close, especially our basketball team. We have been together through thick and thin.”