11/17/22    
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The only two Pennsylvania representatives in Region XIX Division II will renew their rivalry when Lackawanna College travels to Bryn Mawr, PA to take on Harcum College in women's basketball Thursday, November 17^th.
 
Tip-off is set for 5:00pm ET inside Klein Hall on the campus of Harcum College. There will be a video livestream available via the Harcum Athletics YouTube Channel, HERE. The Falcons dropped both games against the Bears last season.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College is 2-3 on the year, having won its last two games, both coming in the Monroe CC Murph Shapiro Classic. There, the Falcons beat the host Tribunes from Monroe CC, 83-59, and then knocked off the SUNY Jamestown CC Jayhawks, 70-66. In both games, the Falcons were led by Sidney Spence, who scored 15 and 19 points, respectively, in each game, coming off the bench to help propel the Falcons to victory.
 
The Falcons are averaging just shy of 65 points per game, and are giving up just shy of 70 points per game. The shooting percentage has steadily improved, as the Falcons are hitting 35% from the field, and holding opponents to 39% on the year. Lackawanna College has struggled from deep, shooting just 14% from downtown this year. Lackawanna is hitting 68% of its free throws this season, nearly making as many (82) as their opponents have attempted (88). The Falcons are -7 in rebounding margin so far this season, but have forced almost 15 turnovers per game this season, and average over 3.5 blocks per game on the year.
 
Last year's second-leading scorer, and 2^nd Team All-Region selection, Gabrielle Jackson (Darby Twp, PA), is currently the team leader in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game, while pulling down 3.3 rebounds per contest. Jackson, back for her third year, has four steals in three games year. She is second on the team in field goal percentage (44.4%) and has made nine free throws through hher three games. Jackson has scored in double-figures twice this season, going for a season-best 18 points in the loss to Monroe College. In that game, Jackson made seven free throws and pulled down four rebounds, while posting three assists and three steals. Jackson had ten points on 4-for-6 shooting in 23 minutes against Montgomery College in her last game. Against Harcum last year, Jackson had a combined 12 points, seven assists, and three rebounds through both games. She had ten points and five assists in the loss at Harcum later in the year. She did not play against either Monroe CC or Jamestown.
 
Cianna Roberts (Brooklyn, NY), who played a majority of bench minutes a year ago, is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game and pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game, third on the squad. Roberts is hitting around 37% of her shots this year, and has been the most accurate of the three-point shooters for the Falcons, going 4-for-16 from deep this year. Roberts is second on the team with six steals so far this season. She has scored in double-figures three this season, including a season-best 16 points in the loss to Montgomery. In that game, Roberts was 7-for-12 from the field, while grabbing three rebounds, posting two assists, and snagging two steals. Against Monroe CC, Roberts had her first double-double as a Falcon, going for 14 points and ten rebounds in the win. Roberts was 5-for-13 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. She did not score in two games against Harcum last season. She had two points in her most recent appearance, the win over Jamestown.  
 
The aforementioned Sidney Spence (Bronx, NY) is tied with Roberts for second on the team in scoring, putting up 10.4 points per game, and is second on the team in rebounding, grabbing around six rebounds per game this year. Spence leads the team in shooting, hitting 44.7% of her shots this year, and is also the team-leader in free throw percentage, hitting 75% of her shots from the charity stripe this season. Spence has scored in double-figures for three straight games, all in bench minutes for the Falcons, and had a season-best 19 points in 23 minutes in the win over Jamestown in her most recent game. Spence was 7-for-16 form the field, and went 5-for-7 from the free throw line, while tying her season-high with nine rebounds in the win over the Jayhawks. Spence played one game last season against Harcum when she was at CCBC Catonsville, scoring 15 points, pulling down six rebounds, and dishing out five assists in a win. 
 
Another third-year returner, McKeyah Duley (Massillon, OH), is averaging 9.2 points per game so far this season. Duley is shooting around 33% overall from the field, and has struggled from downtown, normally her specialty, hitting just four three-pointers in the early going this year. Duley averages 4.6 rebounds per game, and is 14-for-19 from the free throw line, second on the team in makes. Duley's seven steals this season are a team best. Duley hit double-figures twice already this season, going for her season-high 15 points in her last game against Jamestown. She scored her 15 on 4-for-11 shooting, going 6-for-9 from the free throw line, and coming up with five rebounds and five steals in the win over the Jayhawks. Duley had a combined 14 points and eight rebounds in two games against Harcum last season.
 
Dominique Geiger (Plainfield, NJ) has had a good start to her first season as a Falcon, tied with Duley for fourth on the team with 9.2 points per game this year. Geiger is hitting 44% of her shots this year, and is 9-for-13 from the free throw line. Geiger has four steals on the season, one of four different Falcons with that many. She's gone for double-digits in points in her last two games, including a season-high 15 points in the win over Jamestown. In that game against the Jayhawks, Geiger scored her 15 on 7-for-12 shooting, pulling down three rebounds as well in 29 minutes of work.
 
Nya Jackson (Harrisburg, PA) also returns to the Falcons this year, after averaging 6.2 points per game in her 14 games last year. So far this season, with an increased role, Jackson has scored 8.5 points per game for the Falcons in four appearances. Jackson averages 3.3 rebounds per game, and is tied with Roberts for the team lead in assists (7). Jackson is shooting just 30% from the field, but is 10-for-15 from the free throw line on the season. Jackson has scored in double-figures twice this season, going for 13 points both times, against Montogmery and Monroe CC. Against Montgomery, she had 13 points in 32 minutes of work, going 5-for-7 from the charity stripe, while grabbing four rebounds. Against Monroe, it was 13 points in 34 minutes, hitting 5-for-14 from the field and pulling down six rebounds. Against Jamestown, she was held to just four points in 23 minutes of action, but dished out two assists. Nya played just one game against Harcum last season, going scoreless in seven minutes of action.
 
Mahogony Collins (Harrisburg, PA) doesn't provide much offensive firepower, at least not yet, but is the defensive force in the middle for the Falcons. Collins averages a team-best nine rebounds per game, and has denied a team-best 16 shots in all five of her games this year, good for just over three blocks per game. Collins averages 3.8 points per game, but is shooting just 24% from the field. She also has the most fouls (18) on the team so far this year. Collins got her season-high in points with eight in the win over Monroe CC, pulling down seven rebounds in the win. Against Montgomery, she had a season-high 13 rebounds and six blocks. Against Jamestown, Collins had just two points, but hit double-figures in rebounds (10) for the second game this year. She also had two blocks. Collins did not play against Harcum last season.
 
The newest face in the women's basketball program is Monica Spence, entering her first year in charge of the program. Spence follows in the footsteps of Joya Whittington, who was third all-time in wins as a coach and led the Falcons to several stops in the national tournament. Spence joined as an assistant last season, and was elevated to head coach with Whittington's departure. Spence has spent time as a coach at the youth level, as well as the semi-professional men's basketball level.
 
About the Opponents
The Bears (5-1, 1-0) have already opened their Region XIX slate, having defeated County College of Morris by an impressive 99-51 margin in New Jersey on Tuesday evening. The Bears put four players in double-figures and built a lead that ballooned to 52-23 at halftime. Harcum forced 34 turnovers and had 20 steals, while shooting 45% from the field and hitting eleven three-point shots. The Bears have won three in a row, and their only loss in six games came against CCBC Essex, a national semi-finalist from last season in Division II.
 
The Bears are averaging 84 points per game this season, while surrendering just 60 to their opponents. Harcum shoots 44% from the field, while their opponents hit 40%, but the Bears really make their money on defense, forcing their opposition into an average of 25 turnovers per game. The Bears average 16 steals per game, and also hold a +2 rebound advantage on the year.
 
Just one player is in double-figures, with Amaris Baker averaging 26 points per game on the year. Baker is hitting 56% from the field, tops on the team, and also leads the Bears in free throw percentage, hitting 92% from the charity stripe this season. Baker averages a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game, and also leads the Bears in steals at 3.7 per contest. She's scored in double-figures in every game this season, including her season-high 38 points against the CC of Philadelphia in an 88-51 win for the Bears. Baker hit 16-for-22 from the field in that game, hitting a season-best three three-pointers, and pulling down ten rebounds, also a season-high. She also had seven steals in the win over the Lions. Baker had 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting, five rebounds, and three steals in the win over Morris.
 
Ellie Janssen-Holton is second on the team in scoring, going for 9.2 points per game this year. Janssen-Holton is the team-leader in three-point percentage (47%) and is hitting 48% of her shots this season. Janssen-Holton is third on the team at 2.3 assists per game, and is also third on the team with 2.3 steals per game this year. She's gone for double-figures in points twice this season, hitting 19 points both times. She had 19 on 6-for-7 shooting from downtown in a 94-35 win over Hagerstown CC, and then had 19 in her most recent game, hitting five three-pointers in the win over Morris. She also had a season-high five steals against Morris.
 
Aniyah Bond is third on the team at 6.5 points on the season. Bond is shooting around 30% on the season, and is averaging 4.3 rebounds per game, tied for third on the team. Bond has hit double-figures in points three times this season, going for her season-high eleven points in the win over Hagerstown CC, where she hit three three-pointers. She's hit double-figures in her last two games, scoring ten in wins over Northampton and Morris. In the Morris game, Bond had ten points on 4-for-10 shooting, while pulling down four rebounds.  
 
Isabella Gonzalez is fourth on the team, averaging six points per game so far this season. Gonzalez is a three-point threat, hitting 36% from downtown this year. She averages 2.3 rebounds per game, and is just a shade under two steals per game this year. Gonzalez has hit for double-figures in scoring twice this year, including her season-high 16 points, which came against Hagerstown CC. In that game, Gonzalez was 6-for-7 from the field and was 4-for-5 from downtown. Against Morris, Gonzalez had eleven points, hitting three three-point shots in the win over the Titans. She also had three assists and three steals in the win.  
 
Jasmyn Jeffries is averaging 5.2 points per game, but is the team-leader in assists, averaging 5.3 per contest. Jeffries also is second on the team in steals, averaging just under three swipes per game. She also averages three rebounds per game. Jeffries scored in double-figures just once this year, going for 15 points in the win over Catonsville to start the season. She's hit her season-high for assists twice already this season (7). Against Morris in her last game, Jeffries had four points, five assists, and a season-high six steals in the win.
 
The head coach for Harcum College is Riley Maye, who joined the Lady Bears as an assistant coach for the 2018-2019 season, before taking over the program soon after that. Maye came to Harcum after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations for Lehigh's men's basketball program, where he'd handle all the logistical and organizational needs for the basketball team. Before his time at Lehigh, Maye was an assistant at Stroudsburg HS for the boys basketball program. Maye is a graduate of Norfolk State University, where he was a part of the Spartan team that won the MEAC and earned an NCAA tournament bid for the first time in program history, as a 14-seed. The Spartans would upset the Missouri Tigers in the first round that year, before falling in the second round.
  
The Match-Up
The game is set for a 5:00pm ET tip-off inside Klein Hall on the campus of Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA. There will be a video livestream available via the Harcum Athletics YouTube Channel, HERE.
 
The next game for the Falcons will be on Tuesday, November 22^nd, when the Falcons open up their home slate with a big Region XIX contest against Essex County College. That game is the first of a doubleheader, and is set for a 5:00pm ET tip-off inside the historic Lackawanna Student Union gymnasium.