11/30/21
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Women's Basketball team, after an extended break, jumps right back into Region XIX play with a monster road test at #12 Union County College on Tuesday, November 30^th. The game is set for a 6:00pm ET tipoff.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (1-2) haven't played since losing 80-75 in OT to Essex County College on Saturday, November 20^th at the Lackawanna Student Union. Turnovers plagued Lackawanna College, as the Falcons had 31 giveaways, 18 coming in the second half, and were outscored 34-12 on points from turnovers. The Falcons led for the majority of the game, but hit just 35% of their shots in the second half, as the Wolverines closed the gap, and eventually won in overtime. McKeyah Duley had a team-high 25 points to go with her 12 rebounds, giving her a double-double on 9-for-20 shooting. Duley hit four three-pointers on the afternoon. Gabrielle Jackson was second on the team with 14 points, and led the Falcons with 10 assists on the day. Nya Jackson had ten points, five rebounds, and four assists for Lackawanna College. The Falcons were 2-for-15 from three-point range in the second half and overtime.
 
Nya Morris is the only player averaging double-figures, averaging 16.5 points per game, but is one of six players averaging over six points per game early in the year. Gabrielle Jackson is second on the team at 9.7 points per game, and Duley is third with 9.0 points per game, buoyed by her 25-point outburst against Essex. Duley had just two points in two games before her performance. Mahogony Collins is averaging a team-high eight rebounds per game, to go with her 5.3 points per game. She is also the team-leader in blocks, with ten in just three games. Thays Torres leads the Falcons with six steals in three games, while Gabrielle Jackson has the team-lead with 13 assists on the year.  
 
Lackawanna College is shooting at 40.3% as a team in its first three games, and the Falcons are just 26% from beyond-the-arc. Lackawanna College holds a +8.4 rebounding margin, and has 14 blocks as a team. The Falcons are holding their opponents to just 32.7% shooting so far this year, and teams have only hit 17.2% of their three-point attempts against the Lackawanna College defense.
 
Head Coach Joya Whittington enters her eighth season at the helm for the Falcons, winning three district championships and making three NJCAA National Tournament appearances, all within the last five seasons. Whittington is a three-time District Coach of the Year, and has won 150 games in her coaching career at Lackawanna College. Whittington is a Seton Hill University graduate, and a Carbondale, PA native, where she played for Carbondale Area HS.
 
About the Opponents
The Union County College Owls enter the match-up at 3-0, and ranked #12 in the latest NJCAA Division II basketball polls. The Owls have won four straight Region XIX titles, and have qualified four straight times for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, including a runner-up finish in the '18-'19 season.
 
The Owls have been as good as advertised so far this year, averaging just a shade under 90 points per game, while only surrendering 54 points against. Opponents are hitting 43% of their shots, but only 26% of their three-point attempts, while the Owls force almost 22 turnovers per game, including nearly 12 steals per game. Union has a nearly +10 rebounding margin on the season.
 
Samira Sargent is the team-leader, averaging 18.3 points per game so far this year. Samira is one of four players in double-figures for Union County this year. She's hit double-figures in all three games, including a season-high 26 against Jamestown Community College, where she hit ten shots. Samira had a season-high seven rebounds and seven steals against Delaware Tech in her last game.
 
Nia Mallette is second on the team with 16.0 points per game this year. Mallette had a season-high 22 against Monroe CC, and had 13 points in the win over Delaware Tech. Brianna Mills is third on the team with 15.0 points per game. Mills had 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting in the win over Delaware Tech, and dished out eight assists for the Owls. Mills is the team leader at 3.7 assists per game.
 
Rissel Rodriguez is the team leader at eight rebounds per game, while averaging seven points per game this year. Rodriguez scored a season-high 10 points against Delaware Tech, while also pulling down a season-high 13 rebounds against the Terry Hawks. ToniRenee Blanford is second on the team at six rebounds per game, while also averaging 13.3 points per game. Blanford has hit double-figures in every game this year, and had a season-high 15 points against Delaware Tech.
 
The head coach for Union County is Marbely Montas, in her fifth season at the helm of the Owls. A former Union County player herself, Montas, previously an assistant for the program since 2011, has continued the success she helped coach, guiding the Owls to multiple NJCAA National Basketball Tournament appearances, including a school record 30 wins in the 2018-2019 season, which culminated in a national championship game appearance. Montas, a Union County graduate, played for the Owls before earning a full-ride to Monmouth University to finish her career. She played basketball for the Dominican Republic National Team, and earned a master's in School Business Administration at Kean University. Montas is 94-26 in her five years in charge at Union County.
 
Game Information
The match-up is set for a 6:00pm tip-off at the Union County College gymnasium on Tuesday, November 30^th.
 
For those who cannot attend in person, a video livestream will be available via the Union County College athletics YouTube Channel. You can watch along at the link HERE.