1/6/21
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Men's Basketball team opens the new year on the road, traveling to #15 Cecil College to take on the Seahawks in the first game for the Falcons in 2022. The game is scheduled for Thursday, January 6^th, at Cecil College in North East, MD. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm ET.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (4-5) were last in action on Saturday, December 18^th, when they fell 100-86 in overtime on the road at County College of Morris. Both teams shot 50% for the game in regulation, and the Falcons overcame a halftime deficit to take the lead in the second half, only to have the Titans rally and make a comeback of their own, forcing overtime. In the extra period, the Falcons only managed two points, while Morris scored 16 to stretch their advantage. The Falcons shot 46% from the field, and had five different players hit double-figures, but were just 5-for-24 from three-point land, and had 32 turnovers as a team. Will Johnson led the Falcons with 14 points, while three Falcons each scored 13 points (Jaylen Davis, Gabe Springer, and Ahmir Ellzy). Davis had a team-high 16 rebounds, while Ellzy had a team-high four assists.
 
Davis is the team-leader in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game so far this year, along with 9.3 rebounds per game, also first on the team. "JD" has scored in double-figures in eight of nine games this year, going over 20+ points three times, and scoring a season-high 25 points against PSU-Hazleton on opening night. Davis's 16 rebounds against Morris was a season-high, giving him his third double-double of the season. Davis is shooting 54.3% from the field on the year, and averages 1.8 assists per game, along with 1.6 blocks per game this year.
 
Will Johnson has emerged as the second-leading scorer this year, averaging just a shade over ten points per game (10.2). Johnson has scored in double-figures in his last four games, including back-to-back games of 20+ points. He had a season-high 21 against Raritan Valley in December, then followed it up with 20 points, on 6-for-11 shooting against Ulster on December 11^th. Johnson has made more three-pointers in his last three games (six) than he had in his first six games (four). Johnson leads the Falcons with 3.6 assists per game this season, and is tied for second on the team with seven steals this year. Daryl Coleman is third on the team in scoring, with 9.3 points per game this season. Coleman is also averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, and is the team's best three-point threat, hitting a team-high 16 threes this year. Coleman has scored in double-figures four times this season, including a season-high 20 points against Mercer County CC. Coleman put up ten points and six rebounds, along with three assists, against Morris last month, but was 0-for-6 from downtown.
 
Ahmir Ellzy is fourth on the team with 8.8 points per game this season. Ellzy, an All-Region selection from last year, had 13 points and a season-high seven rebounds against Morris last month. Ellzy has hit double-figures four times this year, and leads the Falcons in steal with eight on the season. Ellzy is second on the team with 2.8 assists per game this season.
 
The Falcons bench is led by the tandem of David Pope and Magd Abdelwahab, who are fifth and sixth in scoring for the Falcons at 8.6 and 8.2 points per game, respectively. Pope is hitting around 42% of his shots this year, and is tied for third on the team with ten made three-pointers this year. Pope is among the Lackawanna leaders in FT% this year at 73%, and has scored in double-figures three times this year, including a season-high of 16 points twice (against Erie and Del Tech). Abdelwahab has hit double-figures three times this year, including his season-high 23 points against Niagara County CC earlier this season. Magd is hitting 41% of his shots this year, and is third on the team with 2.7 assists per game.
 
Gabe Springer is second on the Falcons with 8.1 rebounds per game, and is averaging just shy of six points per game (5.7), while also leading the team in blocks (18) this season. Gabe had a career-best 14-point, 19-rebound, 4-block performance against Erie earlier this year. Springer rejected six shots, a season-best, against Ulster, while pulling down 12 rebounds against the Senators. His 13-point performance against Morris was just the second time he scored in double-figures this year.  
 
Lackawanna College is shooting at 42.3% as a team this season, and the Falcons are shooting 28.2% from beyond-the-arc. Lackawanna is also shooting at 63.3% from the free-throw line. Lackawanna College holds a nearly +10 rebounding margin, and has 53 blocks as a team. The Falcons are holding their opponents to 40.3% shooting so far this year, and teams have only hit 26.7% of their three-point attempts against the Lackawanna College defense, which has Lackawanna ranked 9^th in the NJCAA in 3PT% defense. The Falcons are also in the top ten in the NJCAA in blocks per game, averaging 5.9 rejections per contest.
 
Coach Landon Gabriel is in 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
Cecil College comes into the contest with an impressive 9-1 record, and are winners of their last seven games. The Seahawks are currently the #15 ranked team in the NJCAA Division II polls. In their last contest, the Seahawks beat Monroe Community College 100-79 to win the Cecil College Holiday Tournament. Cecil shot 56% for the contest, and had five players in double-figures, including three off the bench, as the Seahawks broke open a tight game midway through the first half to snag a double-digit lead at the break, and never looked back from there. The Seahawks had seven team blocks, and outrebounded the Tribunes 42-30, while putting up 17 second-chance points and 58 points in the paint. Hassan Corbin led Cecil with 23 points on an efficient 8-for-11 shooting performance, including four three-point field goals. Marlon Lewis had 15 points off the bench on 7-for-9 shooting, while Darell Johnson scored 13 points and had ten rebounds. Kejuan Frager had six assists and four steals off the bench, both team-highs.
 
Cecil College is averaging 96.5 points per game, scoring over 100 points five times this year, with a season-high 114 coming against Garrett College. The Seahawks are giving up 76.3 points per game on the year. Cecil College is shooting a blistering 49% this season, while holding their opponents to around 38% from the field on the year. Opponents have hit 31% from three-point range, averaging eight three-pointers per contest against the Seahawk defense. Cecil College has out-rebounded their opponents by a +12 margin, and is averaging 12.5 steals per game.   
 
The Seahawks have a balanced scoring attack, led by two players in double-figures.  Darell Johnson leads the team with 12.5 points per game this year. Johnson is hitting 50% of his shots, and also averages 3.2 steals per game, while pulling down 6.4 rebounds per contest. Johnson has scored in double-figures in nine games this year, including his season-high 17 points against Mercer County, where he also had a season-high eight assists. He's hit double-figures in points in his last six contests, has shot over 50% in seven games this year. He had a season-high ten rebounds against Monroe Community College, giving him his first double-double of the season.
 
Khalid Gates is second on the team at 11.9 points per game, also shooting around 50% for the season, while pulling down a team-high seven rebounds per game. Gates has hit double-figures in five games this season, including a season-high 22 points against Garrett College. Gates has a pair of double-doubles this year, including when he grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds against Garrett. Gates had just three points against Monroe CC, while snagging eight rebounds and blocking three shots.  
 
The Seahawks have eight players averaging between 6.1 and 9.9 points per game on the year, showcasing their balance in scoring. Hassan Corbin is third on the team with that 9.9 average, hitting 48% from the field and around 80% from the free throw line. Corbin has scored in double-figures in five games this year, and his 23 against Monroe CC is his season-high. He scored 20 points in one other game, the season-opening win over Prince George's CC. Corbin is joined by Dominick Carrington, who averages 9.4 points per game, and is the team-leader in 3PT field-goals, averaging nearly two per contest. Carrington is second on the team in assists at 2.5, and leads the team in assists/turnover ratio at 3.1. He also leads the team in steals at 1.7 per game. Carrington has hit double-figures in five games, and his season-high of 17 came against Allegany College. Carrington had nine points against Monroe CC, with three rebounds and three assists.
 
Jacob Valeus rounds out the usual starting five, averaging 7.9 points per game this season. Valeus has scored in double-figures twice this year, with his season-high 18 points coming in the lone loss for the Seahawks this year, against Harcum College. He has one double-double on the year, a 16-point, 10-rebound performance against Prince George's CC to open the year. Valeus had eight points against Monroe CC, shooting 4-for-6 from the field and pulling down four rebounds.
 
The head coach for Cecil College is Ed Durham, who has spent over a decade as the Director of Athletics with Cecil, and has spent eight years at the helm for the Seahawks. Durham, who had spent time as the Cecil College softball coach, took over in the 2013 season, and has since compiled a 139-91 record, with a pair of Region XX titles and a third-place finish in the NJCAA DII tournament to his credit. That 3^rd place finish came in the 2018-2019 season, when the Seahawks went 24-12, won the Region XX championship, and made the semi-final round of the NJCAA DII Men's Basketball Championship tournament, before falling in OT to Johnson County CC. Cecil would rally to win the consolation game and finish third with a win over Erie Community College.  
 
Game Information
The match-up is set for a 7:00pm tip-off at the Cecil College gymnasium on campus in North East, MD. It's the first game of the spring semester for both teams. The game will be streamed live by Cecil College, and you can watch by clicking HERE.
 
The next game for Lackawanna College will be on Tuesday, January 11^th, when they travel to Harcum College to take on the nationally-ranked Bears in a Region XIX contest. The game against the NJCAA DI #11 Bears will be a part of a double-header with the women's basketball teams. The women's game is set for a 5:00pm ET start, while the men's contest will tip-off at 7:00pm ET.