11/19/21
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Men's Basketball team returns home this weekend for the first of a two-game home stretch at the Lackawanna Student Union, all starting Saturday, November 20^th against Essex County College, with tip-off scheduled for 3:00pm ET, following the conclusion of the women's basketball game against Essex.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (1-2) dropped both their contests last weekend at the Niagara County Tip-Off Classic, falling 84-82 to Erie CC on Saturday, and then 98-73 to the hosts, Niagara County CC, on Sunday. The Falcons came back from down to Erie to take the lead, and had a one-point advantage with 90 seconds to play, but couldn't hang on against the Kats. The game against Niagara was much more difficult for the Falcons, as the nationally-ranked Thunder Wolves raced to an early lead, and led by as many as 29 points on their way to victory.
 
Lackawanna College is averaging 75.7 points per game in their first three contests, and hitting on 42% of their shots from the field. The Falcons are outrebounding opponents by a +6 margin (44-to-37), and already have 15 blcoks on the season, as a team. The Falcons are giving up around 81 points per game, and have 58 turnovers on the season, 31 on steals by their opponents.
 
Jaylen Davis is one of two Falcons' players averaging double-figures this year, leading the team with 15.0 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. "JD" is shooting 57% from the field, and is 12-for-15 from the FT line this year. After foul-trouble limited him in the Erie game, Davis bounced back for 13 points against Niagara County.
 
David Pope is averaging 10 points per game, all coming off the bench, and has hit five three-pointers in his first three games. Daryl Coleman has proved to be the team-leader in three-pointers, hitting a team-high seven three's on the year, and averaging 9.7 points per game, as well as 5.3 rebounds per game. Gabe Springer is the team-leader with 9.7 rebounds per game, and is averaging 6.3 points per game, to go with his team-high 2.0 blocks per game on the year.
 
Magd Abdelwahab, who had a team-high 23 points against Niagara County, is the team-leader in assists with 13 in three games, at just over four assists per game. Will Johnson is second on the team with ten assists in three games.
 
Coach Landon Gabriel enters his second season as the head coach for Lackawanna College. Coach Gabriel was hired in 2020 to lead the Falcons program, and rebuild them into a contender. Gabriel spent the previous eleven years coaching at his alma mater, Carbondale Area, where he helped the Chargers boys basketball team to numerous PIAA District II playoff appearances. Gabriel is a King's College graduate, where he played basketball for the Monarchs.
 
About the Opponents
The Essex County College Wolverines men's basketball team comes in at 0-3 on the year, fresh off a 78-54 loss on the road at ASA Brooklyn. The Wolverines are averaging 63 points per game, and are giving up around 75 points per game on defense. They lost by nine points to Mercer County on 11/16, and also have a three-point loss to Bronx College on 11/4.
 
Opponents are hitting around 40% of their three-point attempts against the Wolverines this year, and they're averaging just over nine steals per game against Essex.
 
Jonathan Delgado was the team-leader in the first game of the year for the Wolverines, scoring a team-high 20 points, one of four players in double-figures for Essex County. Delgado had six rebounds and five assists in the game against Bronx College. Jaheim Lewis was second on the team with 19 points, going 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. Keon Evans led the Wolverines with 11 rebounds in that contest, while scoring eight points and putting up three blocks.  
 
The head coach for the Wolverines is Bobbie Morgan.
 
Game Information
The match-up is set for a 3:00pm tip-off at the Lackawanna Student Union on Saturday, November 20^th, as part of the second game of a doubleheader with the women's basketball team. Tickets will be sold at the door, and available for students ($3) and adults ($5). Students with a Lackawanna College ID get in for free. All attendees are required to follow NJCAA Region XIX and Lackawanna College guidelines, which include wearing facemasks when in the Student Union. For more details and our spectator policy, click HERE.
 
For those who cannot attend in person, a video livestream will be available via the Lackawanna College YouTube Channel. Steve Young and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will have the call. Watch along HERE.