Victoria Toomey is a Leader on Court for Dunmore Lady Bucks

Posted on February 6, 2019 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

She was the Lackawanna League girls’ Player of the Year last season and Lynett Tournament MVP for a second consecutive season.

That’s Dunmore Lady Bucks center-forward Victoria Toomey who is savoring her senior season to the fullest.

Daughter of Pat and Carrie Toomey, her mom, the former Carrie Bowen, was a basketball standout at Dunmore High School and Franklin and Marshall College. Victoria’s mom is a member of the Northeast PA Sports Hall of Fame.

“My parents taught me to work hard,” Victoria said. “They teach me that if you work hard, anything can happen.”

The senior center-forward is fifth in Lackawanna League Division III in scoring with an average of 13.9 points per game and fifth in free throw percentage (.727). She averages over eight rebounds per game.

She earned her second consecutive Lynett Tournament MVP after the Lady Bucks easily defeated Holy Cross for another title.

Her reaction to being named MVP of the tournament?

“I was so happy. I just have to hand it to all of my teammates who gave me the opportunity. It was a great team effort and it could not have happened without all of them.”

She averaged close to 17 points a game and over eight rebounds last season when she was named Player of the Year.

Victoria already has a scholarship in place for next fall when she will play basketball and begin studies at Rider University in New Jersey. She will study sports management with a concentration in business.

Humble, but spirited in nature, Victoria credits her coach Ben O’Brien for much of her success. “I have learned a lot from him. Just so much.

“He teaches us to work hard and take nothing for granted. He teaches us to always play together as teammates and to communicate.”

The scholar-athlete has a 95 academic average. Her best academic subject is history. She is a member of SADD, TACT, the Earth Club, Spanish Club and Art Club.

basketball With her team undefeated with a 15-0 record (7-0 in the division), she talked about the team’s outlook for the rest of the season.

“We are very happy with our season so far, but not content. We want to keep pushing and go for a state title. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Victoria talked about the great success of the Lady Bucks.

“It’s all about chemistry and knowing each other. It helps that we are all close friends. We have been playing together for so long. Most of us have been playing together since the fourth grade.

“I’m very lucky to be playing basketball at Dunmore. We are very thankful for all of the people who come to our games.”

Victoria said she is looking forward to playing basketball at Rider University and studying sports management. She would like to become a professional sports agent.

Victoria is a four-year member and three-year starter at Dunmore. She was an all-star selection as a sophomore and junior and All Regional in her junior year.

She has 1,040 career points at press time. Victoria scored her milestone 1,000th career point in a recent win last month against Mid Valley.

“Dunmore High School has been such a great experience for me. It is crazy to think four years have gone by and I am a senior. It has been so awesome here. Every game is so special. I am enjoying every moment.”

Toomey Helps Lady Bucks Score District Title, Advance to PIAA Playoffs

Posted on March 7, 2018 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Victoria Toomey scored 28 points in leading the Dunmore Lady Bucks to a 48-44 win over Holy Redeemer as her team won the District 2 Class 3A title Saturday, March 3, at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Coach Ben O’Brien’s team avenged last year’s title game defeat with the win.

The Lady Bucks are now 25-1.

Talented junior Gianna Delfino played a tremendous all-around game for Dunmore as she added nine points, nine assists and eight rebounds in the title win.

Toomey and Delfino and Kelly Quinn combined for 45 of Dunmore’s 48 points. Quinn, averaging 11.2 points per game entering the contest, scored eight points. Toomey and Lisa Tallo added eight rebounds each for the Lady Bucks.

Toomey, a junior, was on the entire contest as she hit 11-of-14 shots in the win.

She came into the game averaging 16.3 points per game and has shined on the court all season.

Holy Redeemer made only 14 of 59 shots against the tight Dunmore defense.

Athletes of the Month - Lady Bucks Toomey

Victoria Toomey helped lead her team to 48-44 win over Holy Redeemer and another district title. (Photo Credit: Rich Banick Photography)

Toomey got in foul trouble early in the game. She picked up two fouls and sat the final 1:53 of the first quarter as Holy Redeemer built a 13-10 lead.

But when she came back in the game, the junior stalwart was simply dominant.

Toomey scored nine of her points in the second quarter as the Lady Bucks moved ahead and took a 25-21 lead into the second half.

Dunmore went ahead 32-23 in the third quarter before Holy Redeemer trimmed the Lady Bucks lead to 34-30 after a 3-pointer by Cameron Marcinkowski.

Toomey then hit a key bucket for Dunmore with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.

Dunmore took a 36-30 lead into the final quarter. A 3-point play by Sam Yencha cut the Dunmore lead to 47-44, with 1:49 left in the game.

Holy Redeemer had one final opportunity to tie the game, but Tallo made the play of the contest when she stole the ball, was fouled and hit a free throw to seal the win with 2.6 seconds left. Tallo, averaging 9.8 points entering the game, made the first of two free throws. Her only steal and only point of the game were the game’s biggest.

Maria Borgia and Alexis Chapman also played nice all-around games for Dunmore in a strong team effort.

Yencha, averaging 14.7 points entering the game, led Holy Redeemer with 13 points.

Dunmore defeated Meyers, 56-24, and Mid Valley, 60-27, to get to the district final.

Holy Redeemer defeated Dunmore, 51-37, in last year’s district final.

Holy Redeemer dropped to 22-4.

The Lady Bucks now advance to the PIAA playoffs.

Athlete of the Month: Victoria Toomey

Posted on January 3, 2018 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore junior Victoria Toomey has basketball in her blood.

Her mom, Carrie Bowen Toomey, was a Dunmore High School basketball standout and four-year starter at Franklin and Marshall College where she earned league MVP honors in her final two years. She is a member of the Northeast Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

The apple is not falling too far from the tree.

Daughter of Pat and Carrie Toomey, Dunmore, Victoria, 16, was named tournament MVP as she led the Dunmore Lady Bucks to a 45-29 win over Abington Heights in the final game of the Lynett Girls Memorial Basketball Tournament.

Victoria, 16, scored 10 points in Dunmore’s 53-30 win over Scranton in the Lynett Tournament semifinal contest. She scored 14 points in Dunmore’s 45-29 win over Abington Heights in the clincher. She played outstanding defense in both games as Dunmore ran its record to a perfect 8-0 under coach Ben O’Brien.

The consummate team player, her reaction to earning tournament MVP honors was not surprising. “It was great and really exciting,” she said. “We were working so hard during the games that I really didn’t think about it. We were all thinking about the plays that had to be made.

“Earning MVP honors was just a nice extra.”

The scholar-athlete has a 95 academic average at Dunmore. Her favorite subject is history.

Victoria is a member of the Spanish Club, Earth Club, Art Club and TACT Club.

She commented on the team’s Lynett title, the third in a row for Dunmore. “We have just been getting better every game,” she said. “Everything just came together for us in that last game. We were working on our defense a lot in practice. The defense is getting better, We played great defense in the final. We communicated very well as a team. We still have some work to do to improve the defense even more.”

Victoria said she has learned a lot from coach O’Brien. “He keeps us very level headed on the court. He teaches us to work out everything on the court through communication. We can work through any problem. That is what he preaches to us.”

The stalwart center said her parents taught her a lot about the game. “They tell me to always do my best even on an off night shooting. They tell me to continue working hard and good things will happen.”

Victoria talked about what it takes to be a good center in high school basketball. “You need to be able to change your direction one way or another when moving to the basket. You need to make opponents score over you on defense.”

Outstanding on both ends of the court, Victoria started playing as a pre-schooler in Dunmore Biddy Basketball leagues. Her mom is president of the Dunmore Biddy Basketball League.

She talked about her future goals. “I want to play basketball in college. I’m not sure where I want to go yet. I am thinking about pre law. I want to enjoy college basketball and then graduate and be successful at work someday.”

A three-year member of the Dunmore Lady Bucks, Victoria likes listening to music in her spare time and would like to see Alicia Keys in concert.

She is loving her experience at Dunmore High School.

“I love Dunmore,” she said. “It’s a great town and the community supports the sports teams. It’s a tight knit community. The teachers and coaches at Dunmore are the best. I love going to school at Dunmore. It is a great experience.”