12/16/21
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Women's Basketball team overcame a late deficit to down upset-minded Raritan Valley, 58-56, on Thursday night at the Lackawanna Student Union.
 
Nya Morris, who scored a game-high 22 points, went 8-for-11 from the free throw line in the second half, and hit five free throws down the stretch to help the Falcons overcome a late 53-52 deficit to eventually win, but the result hung in the balance until the very last second. Raritan Valley (4-9) had a chance late, trailing 58-53 with 2.4 seconds left when a foul in the backcourt sent the Lions to the free throw line. After hitting the first free throw, the Lions missed their second, but Brie Opdyke, who led the Lions with 20 points, grabbed the offensive rebound and scored with 0.6 seconds remaining, making it a 58-56. Opdyke was fouled on the shot, and was sent to the line to shoot one free throw. Opdyke's shot ricocheted high off the rim, and Daeja Cromartie tracked down her ninth, and possibly most important, rebound of the night to seal the win and give the Falcons their third straight victory.
 
The Falcons had a rough night shooting the ball, shooting 18-for-66 overall (27%) and 6-for-24 from three (25%). Despite the poor shooting, and 31 turnovers, the Falcons overcame the Lions with a 14-for-22 performance from the free throw line in the second half. Despite the shooting slump, the Falcons had three players in double-figures, led by Morris (22), Gabrielle Jackson (13), and Thays Torres (10).  Morris added eight rebounds, while Cromartie's nine rebounds led the Falcons.
 
Lackawanna College fell behind early, trailing 10-2 just a few minutes into the first quarter, but the Falcon defense ratcheted up the pressure, and Lackawanna closed the quarter on a 13-2 run to snatch the lead after one quarter. Lackawanna College would open up an 11-point lead at 24-13 with 4:01 to play in the second quarter, but the Lions rallied, as their zone defense stymied the Falcon offense, and brought Raritan back within three at the break, thanks to an 11-3 run to close the quarter.
 
Raritan, who shot just 27% in the first half, found a little more shooting touch in the second half, hitting three three-pointers in the third quarter, after not hitting any in the first half, and opening up a 43-39 lead at the end of the third period. Meanwhile, the Falcon offense continued to struggle, missing Morris because of foul trouble in the third quarter.
 
The fourth quarter was marred by missed opportunities and shots from both teams, and Raritan held a 49-45 lead with just under seven minutes to play, when the Falcons began to find their footing. Ashanté Amos sank a pair of free throws to bring it within two, and then Morris hit a twirling, spinning shot that bounced high off the rim before it fell through, tying things up at 49 with under 4:30 to go. After Raritan went ahead 51-49, the Falcons responded with Morris again, this time driving to her right and scoring a lay-up through contact, tying the game and sending her to the free throw line for one more, giving the Falcons the lead at 52-51, their first lead since early in the third. The Lions got a lay-up through contact of their own, thanks to a Judith Girones Gonzalez drive and score, which made it 53-52, setting up the final few minutes of drama for the Falcons.
 
Lackawanna College will take on the CCBC-Catonsville Cardinals in their final game of the fall semester, on Saturday, December 18^th in Catonsville, MD. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00pm ET on Saturday afternoon.