Tag Archives: Sophia Talutto

Dunmore sophomore guard leading Lady Bucks

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By Steve Svetovich

During the absence of injured Dunmore stalwart Ciera Toomey, Lady Bucks sophomore guard Sophia Talutto has taken on a leadership role.

Daughter of Joseph and Lori Talutto, Dunmore, Sophia led the Lady Bucks to four wins in its first five games this season averaging 17.0 points and 5.0 assists per contest.

Sophia led Dunmore with a game-high 19 points in the Lady Bucks 58-42 win over Scranton Tuesday, Dec. 27, at the Lackawanna College Student Union in the semifinals of the 19th Lynett Memorial Girls Tournament.

The contest marked the return of North Carolina-bound center Ciera Toomey who has been sidelined since March with a torn ACL. The three-time all-state center returned at the start of the second half and hit a top-of-the key 3-pointer. The shot, her only one, swished through the nets to the crowd’s delight. She played a little more than two minutes in the contest as her teammate Sophia took control of the game for the Lady Bucks.

Dunmore held a 28-22 halftime lead before Ciera entered the contest.

Dunmore lost to Scranton Prep, 52-33, in the Lynett Tournament final Thursday, Dec. 29.

Sophia is a second year starter on the Dunmore Lady Bucks basketball team.

The talented sophomore guard has a 98.5 academic average at Dunmore. Her favorite subjects are chemistry and math.

Sophia is unsure where she will attend college, but most definitely wants to play basketball and probably study business in college.

The scrappy sophomore said her parents taught her a lot. “They taught me to be humble and above all be consistent and work hard at anything I do.”

She talked about the Lady Bucks starting the season without Ciera on the court and under new coach Carrie Bowen Toomey, Ciera’s mom, who replaced Ben O’Brien.

“It was definitely different without Ciera’s leadership early on. And we lost Moriah Murray to graduation. So I did take more of a leadership role. As long as we stay consistent and focused at practice, we will be successful as a team.

“This team is very good. We saw that some are doubting us, but that keeps us very motivated. We are going to have another good year. With more practice, we will be very good. We are focused on it. We also know Ciera will be with us at full strength during districts.

“Our new coach was an assistant under coach O’Brien. So we are doing many of the same things. The transition is going very well.

“Sure, we miss coach O’Brien. But Carrie Toomey is doing great as our new coach.”

Well-spoken and polite, Sophia is also a left wing on the Dunmore soccer team. She is a member of TACT and the French Club at Dunmore.

Sophia enjoys listening to music and would like to see Bruno Mars in concert.

The hard-working scholar-athlete talked about what it takes to excel as a guard in high school basketball. “You need to stay consistent and focused,” she said. “And you should be humble.”

Sophia was an honorable mention on the Lackawanna League all-star team last season. She was named the 570 Sports Freshman of the Year. “That was surprising,” she said. “A lot of people talked about it and I received some very nice messages. A lot of people supported me.

“It was a great feeling.”

Sophia said she loves living in Dunmore and playing for the Lady Bucks.

“It’s definitely memorable,” she said. “I have loved Dunmore since being a little kid. Our community is great. Everyone supports us.”

Dunmore Freshman Steps Up Her Game

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By Steve Svetovich

As a freshman in the Dunmore Lady Bucks starting five, Sophia Talutto made her mark as the season progressed.

But she really stepped up her game when all-state junior center Ciera Toomey went down with a torn ACL in the Lady Bucks district title win over Scranton Prep, 43-42, Thursday, March 3, at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Dunmore senior Moriah Murray hit the game-winning bucket in the district title win while senior Mia Blume led the Lady Bucks with 11 points, but the talented freshman Talutto chipped in with eight points, including two key 3-pointers.

Murray led the way with 32 points in the Lady Bucks 51-25 win over Shamokin in the PIAA Class 4A first round win Wednesday, March 9, but Sophia added 12 points as the team’s second leading scorer.

Murray scored 35 points in Dunmore’s 62-53 overtime win over Villa Joseph Marie in the PIAA Class 4A second round contest Sunday, March 13, at Easton Middle School. Sophia and Mia Blume were the team’s second leading scorers with 12 points each.

The Lady Bucks lost 40-39 in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal at Berwick High School Wednesday, March 16, but Sophia led Dunmore in scoring with 14 points.

So the scrappy freshman became a mighty contributor in the playoffs, with standout teammate Ciera Toomey on the sidelines. Sophia, Moriah, Mia and a few others stepped up their games to the max.

Daughter of Lori and Joseph Talutto, Dunmore, Sophia, 15, averaged about 8.5 points per game as a freshman shooting guard this season.

Her sister Anna Talutto was a key four-year member of the Dunmore Lady Bucks and currently attends Penn State.

“My sister was known for her defense,” Sophia said. “And I learned a lot just by watching her play. She taught me a lot about how to,play good defense. I pattern a lot of my game after her.”

Sophia said she and her teammates were thrilled with the district title win. “A lot of it was for Ciera. We became more aggressive after she went down and fought hard to help get her a district title. We all stepped up, played with more confidence, and played together as a team. We were so happy to get that win. We were happy for Ciera and all of us as teammates.

“With Ciera going down early in that game, it was bad. We all felt bad at first. There were a lot of emotions and then we came through.

“Winning the district championship was the greatest feeling ever.”

Well-spoken and intelligent, Sophia has a 98.5 academic average at Dunmore. She is a member of the TACT Club and is a left wing on the soccer team.

She has played AAU basketball for five years on the NEPA Elite.

Sophia said her parents are a strong influence. “They teach me to always keep going. If you get knocked down, you need to get right back up.”

She has learned a lot from Dunmore veteran basketball coach Ben O’Brien. “He gave me a lot of confidence and is very supportive of everything.”

Sophia enjoys rap music and said she would like to see Tyler the Creator in concert.

As a freshman, she is enjoying her time at Dunmore and looking forward to the next three years. “Freshman year has really been great,” she said. “I’ve made a lot of memories and friendships. I love the community. We have great fans.”

Sophia has time to decide on a college and major, but there is one thing she knows for sure when the time comes. “I want to play basketball in college. I love the game.”