District 2 Boys 3A Semi-Final Recap (Dunmore 52, Lakeland 46)

Written by: Jon K on February 22, 2026

February 21, 2026

Dunmore Hold Off Chiefs Upset Bid

Dunmore 52, Lakeland 46

DUNMORE – Despite a pair of division losses during the regular season, Lakeland came into Saturday’s District 2 Class AAA Semi-Final matchup confident and determined to pull off an upset against highly-regarded #2-seed, Dunmore. The Chiefs displayed composure, impressive scrappiness, and hustle to create several key final period turnovers that helped then get back into the game after the Bucks hot-shooting gave them an 8-point halftime advantage. Some outstanding inside passing by the Bucks and hitting their free throws help them secure a hard-fought 52-46 victory played before spirited crowd supporting both teams. The win sends Dunmore (21-3) to the District 2 AAA Championship game against Lackawanna League Division 2 rival and top-seed Riverside (22-1) Thursday evening at Mohegan Arena (8 pm).

A missed breakaway steal that would have erupted the hometown crowd may have been more of an early sign that this one was not going to be the slam-dunk for the Bucks that many in attendance anticipated. Dunmore’s shots were not falling early on, but Brayden Canavan knotted the game at 4 and then added a free throw and layup to give the Bucks a 7-4 edge before Lakeland went on a 6-0 run to go up 10-7. Nate Aviles hit a pair of free throws to cut it to 10-9 after the first period.

The game went back-and-forth through the middle of the second quarter before Dunmore rallied from a 17-16 deficit with a 13-4 run to end the first half. The Bucks grabbed an 11-10 lead after patiently working the ball and getting a driving scoop layup from Canavan. Chase Rosencrans, a talented 6-2 junior forward, skillfully drove toward the hoop throughout the game and got a traditional 3-point play before Carter Sload tied the game at 13. Jake McHale gave the Chiefs a brief lead right back before Sload netted a triple as the Bucks led 16-15. Lakeland came up with a steal and Rosencrans hit a pair of FTs and then added another score wrapped around a Dunmore triple to make it 19-19. In the closing two minutes of the first half, the Bucks came up with a clutch triple from Jimmy Clark following a Lakeland turnover. Carter Coyle came off the bench and added another trey (their 4th of the stanza) to send the Bucks into the break leading 29-21.

Dunmore continued to hold momentum, taking their largest lead of the game (37-27) at the 3:20 mark before the Chiefs refused to fold and rallied to cut the deficit in half. Ryan McGrane got a strong, spinning layup for Lakeland to open the second half (29-23) and had several more opportunities but turned the ball over and could not covert several offensive rebounds. Despite those miscues, David Naniewicz connected on a triple to cut it to 29-26. Dunmore went on a 6-0 run capping it off with an “and 1” play by Canavan. The Bucks extended their advantage to double digits (37-27) following a score by Luke Franek. The Chiefs continued to struggle to score but their sensational defense helped them trim the gap to five points, 37-32, heading into the final period.

Dunmore maintained a nine-point lead approaching the final two minutes. They extended their lead to 41-32 to start the frame with a pair of FTs following a Sload steal and layup by Clark. McGrane got a putback but the Chiefs turned it over with 4:40 remaining. Naniewicz came up with an impressive steal, but his breakaway layup was blocked by the Bucks sending their fans cheering in approval. While defense was definitely playing a key role in this outcome, Dunmore used some outstanding inside passing to get a score by Jake Costanzo. Sload got a putback with 2:16 left to again put the Bucks up by nine, 47-38. Lakeland continued to play stellar defense getting a turnover that led to 3 FTs from McHale making it a two-possession game, 47-42, with 1:43 left. The Bucks worked the clock before getting a pair of FTs from Canavan. Rosencrans hit a smooth baseline floater with 1:04 left to cut it to 49-44 and McHale got an inside bucket with 38 ticks left to make it 51-46. Dunmore then missed a layup but the Chiefs could not convert a 3-point attempt with 13.1 remaining. Dunmore secure the hard-fought 52-46 victory.

Dunmore (21-3) was led by Brayden Canavan with 16 points. Carter Sload and Jimmy Clark each added 9 points. Luke Franek, Jake Costanzo, Carter Coyle and Nate Aviles combined for 18 points. The Bucks netted 4 triples and made 16 of 20 free throw opportunities.

Lakeland (11-12) was paced by Chase Rosencrans with 16 points and Jake McHale with 13 points. David Naniewicz, Ryan McHale, TJ Kopa and Luke McFarland combined for 17 points. The Chiefs hit 3 triples and converted 17 of 22 free throws. Plenty of future optimism for Lakeland as they return 4 starters next season.