Being siblings, Owen and Bella Dumbroski have a lot in common.
That’s not to say there aren’t differences, though, one of the most glaring being their personalities.
“Owen is very quiet and soft-spoken. Bella is dancing while I’m teaching plays, having a good time. She’s very extroverted,” Serra Catholic girls basketball coach Mike Voit said with a laugh.
A.J. Corso, coach of the Serra boys, added, “Owen definitely leads by example. He doesn’t say much on the court. I watched our girls team play today, and his sister is much different on the court. She’s very vocal. The difference, it’s kind of funny.”
They might go about their business in different ways, but the Dumbroskis are much alike in the fact that they are having fantastic seasons for the Serra Catholic basketball teams, so much so that they have become one of the best brother-sister acts in WPIAL basketball in a number of years.
Owen is a 6-foot senior guard on the Serra boys team, while Bella is a 5-foot-9 freshman guard on the Serra girls team. It’s not often that a brother and sister put up big scoring numbers in the same high school season, but check out the Dumbroskis, who have combined to average more than 40 points per game. Both lead their teams in scoring and rank among the top 20 scorers in the entire WPIAL.
“It’s very special,” said Owen, whose family lives in the Gateway School District. “Just to see me and her doing what we’re doing, it’s just amazing.”
Owen, 17, is a four-year starter who averages 20.8 points per game. He scored his 1,000th career point in Serra’s season opener and is chasing the school record of 1,411 points set by Marc Rozanski in 2007. Owen currently has 1,215.
“He’s an all-around great player,” said Corso. “He can score in transition. Last year, he hit eight 3’s in a game, tying a school record. He’s assisting. He’s playing defense. Just all around a great player to have.”
Bella, 14, is averaging 19.8 points, the most of any freshman in the WPIAL. And, as you might expect, her coach holds her in high regard among local ninth graders.
“I think she’s the best in the area,” Voit said.
The Dumbroskis are great at putting the ball in the basket, but both are also winners. The Serra boys and girls both rank among the top teams in WPIAL Class 1A. The boys are 10-2 overall and 3-1 in the section, while the girls have used a five-game win streak to improve to 6-5 overall and 4-1 in section play.
Just because one is a boy and the other a girl and they are three years apart in age doesn’t mean that the two haven’t had their share of head-to-head battles on the hoop in the driveway outside of their family’s home. They certainly have, and “little sis” has registered more wins in those matchups than one might expect.
“I think it’s very obvious that she’s grown up with her brother,” Voit said. “She’s tough. She’s gritty. She has an understanding of how boys play.”
Owen and Bella are close and big supporters of one another. They shoot around and work out together when they can, whether it be at home, at Serra or at a local YMCA. The two also make it out to each other’s games as much as possible.
Owen has taken a big step up in the scoring department this season after averaging 14 points a game as both a sophomore and junior. It was needed after the Eagles graduated top scorers Pete Burke and Isiah Petty following last season. Each averaged 19 points a game. Owen has scored at least 20 points seven times this season with a season high of 29 against California.
“He knew he had to be the guy this year,” Corso said. “What’s nice about Owen is he doesn’t force it. He knows he’s going to get open shots.”
A team captain and one of five seniors on the team, Owen can fill the stat sheet, too, as he leads the Eagles in assists (3.6 per game) and steals (4.2 per game) and ranks second in rebounds (6.2 per game).
The excellent numbers have certainly impressed one of Owen’s biggest fans.
“It’s really special,” Bella said. “I’ve been watching him play basketball since I was little, so I’ve learned a lot from watching him.”
Watch Bella play, and you’ll quickly see why her coach calls her the WPIAL’s top freshman. Bella can score inside and out, and in addition to her scoring abilities she is also averaging 7.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
“She’s a long point guard, and she uses her length to get steals and get on the break,” Voit said. “She can hit the 3, can split defenders on drives. If I’m the other coach, there’s not really a glaring weakness when I watch her on film.”
Bella is one of two freshmen who start for Serra, the other being guard Arianna Ward. She’s also one of two Serra players who can fill the bucket in bunches. Junior guard Abby Genes is right behind Dumbroski in scoring with 17.9 points per game.
Bella, who plays AAU for SLAAM, has really come into her own during Serra’s win streak, scoring at least 26 points in four of her past five games. That included a 33-point outing against Mapletown and a 32-point performance against Bishop Canevin. When Serra beat West Mifflin, 64-61, in two overtimes on Saturday, Bella accounted for 10 of her team’s 13 points after regulation.
“That’s crazy, especially for a freshman,” Owen said of his sister’s sizzling play.
Owen and Bella are both two-sport athletes. Owen is a pitcher and utility player in baseball, while Bella plays either forward or center midfielder in soccer. Owen said he will likely play baseball in college, although he has not yet picked a school. He helped Serra reach the WPIAL Class 2A baseball final each of the past two seasons. As a junior, he batted .394 with 23 RBIs and went 7-2 with a 2.33 ERA. Owen also plays travel baseball for All American.
And while a point can be made that Owen might be even better in his “other” sport, he and his sister’s ability to score points — lots of them — on the basketball court are helping the Serra Eagles soar this season.
These high-scoring siblings are simply enjoying the ride.
“I knew she would be this good,” Owen said. “It’s just been awesome to watch.”
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.