Dunmore’s Amanda Dempsey (10) celebrates after teammate Janaya Martin made a three-point shot to put their team ahead in the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Janaya Martin (2) takes a three-point shot to put her team ahead during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore celebrates after winning the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Amanda Dempsey (10) celebrates after winning the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Michelle Nidoh (32) shoots a free throw during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer celebrates after Kearney Quinn (1) made a three-point shot to put Holy Redeemer ahead 22-21 at the end of the first half of the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Janessa Martin (4) takes a shot during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Leena Conte (12) takes a shot as Holy Redeemer’s Bella Boylan (5) attempts to block her during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Janessa Martin (4) drives through the Holy Redeemer defense during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s bench celebrates after scoring during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Michelle Nidoh (32) takes a shot as Holy Redeemer’s Gillian Parsons (34) attempts to block her during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Amanda Dempsey (10) drives toward the basket during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Janaya Martin (2) takes a shot during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Ava Walsh (33) snags a rebound during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s Tessa Cegelka (2) takes a three-point shot during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Amanda Dempsey (10) drives toward the basket during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s bench reacts after scoring during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s Gillian Parsons (34) grabs a rebound during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s Bella Boylan (5) drives toward the basket during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s Bella Boylan (5) grabs a rebound during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s McKenzie Chimock (22) chases after a loose ball during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s Bella Boylan (5) shoots a layup as Dunmore’s Jackie Brown (50) attempts to block during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Jackie Brown (50) grabs a rebound before Holy Redeemer’s Gillian Parsons (34) during the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Dunmore’s Amanda Dempsey (10) celebrates after teammate Janaya Martin made a three-point shot to put their team ahead in the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championships in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
WILKES-BARRE TWP.— Carrie Toomey was in no position to be picky.
With 20.3 seconds left and Dunmore trailing by two points, the Lady Bucks needed to go the length of the court to tie the game.
Freshman guard Janaya Martin decided it was time to go home.
Martin’s 3-pointer from the left wing with 6.6 seconds remaining lifted Dunmore to a 37-35 victory over Holy Redeemer in the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday afternoon at Mohegan Arena.
The Lady Bucks (22-3) and will head to the PIAA tournament to face Mount Carmel on Friday at a site and time to be determined. Holy Redeemer (18-8) also advances to the state tournament to face either Loyalsock or Hughesville on Friday.
“As a coach you kind of play for things and some things you just can’t,” Toomey said. “Sometimes you leave it in the hands of the team and the players. Whoever got the best available shot is what we needed. We only needed to get two points.”
Instead, Martin decided to end it as her shot left leaving Holy Redeemer little time to get off any sort of decent attempt before the buzzer sounded.
“She works so hard on every other aspect of her game,” Toomey said. “Along with her sister (Janessa). They keep balls alive and handle the pressure. She deserves to take those shots. She works so hard on the defensive end.”
Dunmore inbounded underneath the Holy Redeemer basket after the Royals turned the ball over for the fifth time in the fourth quarter. Amanda Dempsey brought the ball up court and eventually it ended up in the hands of Jackie Brown who swung the ball to Martin for the game-winning shot.
Martin’s bucket capped a 7-0 Dunmore run in the final 51 seconds. Holy Redeemer led, 35-30, with 1:28 left in the game after Tessa Cegelka made a pair of free throws. Holy Redeemer’s last made field goal came with 2:54 left when Bella Boylan scored in the lane.
Following that, the Royals tried to slow the pace of the game after gaining possession with 2:28 left. The Royals were content making Dunmore chase the ball, but the Lady Bucks had two fouls to give before sending Redeemer to the foul line.
“We wanted to make them play man and get out of the zone,” Holy Redeemer coach John Jezorwski said of his decision to take time off the clock. “We missed a layup and turned the ball over near the end. When you do those two things that turns out to change the difference in the game whether you are a champion or runner-up.”
In what ultimately proved to be a game of runs, Dunmore got the most important one at the end of the game. Holy Redeemer used eight consecutive first quarter points to lead 13-6 at the end of the first quarter. Kearney Quinn made a 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer, putting the Royals up by one heading to halftime.
“I think we played into their slow game,” Jezorwski said. “They wanted the game in the 30s, that played into their hands. I’m very proud of the girls. Just proud of where we came from with the ups and downs all year.”
Dunmore led by two points going to the fourth quarter but did a good job of limiting Holy Redeemer’s second-chance opportunities off missed shots. Though the Lady Bucks had just one point in the quarter until Brown scored off a rebound to cut the Redeemer lead to 35-32, it was a bucket that provided a spark and gave them a chance to win it at the end.
Following Brown’s basket, Ava Walsh scored off a Holy Redeemer turnover to make it a one-point game.
Dunmore’s three losses this season have come to West Orange (New Jersey), Scranton and Easton. The West Orange and Scranton games each were decided by one point. Those late and close situations early in the season paid dividends in the district championship game. Its Dunmore second consecutive district title and sixth since 2018.
“I have a lot of confidence in this team,” Toomey said. “It seems we start every game with a turnover but it’s what we do after that. I think it’s because of our youth. We lost two really close games in the beginning of the season and I think we learned from it. They felt they were not losing another one.”