12/10/22      
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College women's basketball team is back at home for just the second time this season, and they've got a big rivalry match-up with nationally ranked Union County College in Region XIX play on Saturday, December 10^th.
 
Tip-off is set for 1:00pm ET inside the Lackawanna College Student Union Gymnasium in Scranton, PA. The game is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at the door for both students ($3) and adults ($5). For those who can't make the game, there will be a video livestream available at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, and also via the Region 19 Sports Network. Steve Young will provide the play-by-play, and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide the color commentary.
 
Last year, Union went a perfect 3-0 against Lackawanna College, knocking the Falcons off twice in the regular season, then once more in the Region XIX playoffs. Union has won eight of the last ten match-ups with Lackawanna College.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (4-4, 2-1) got back to work for the first time in two weeks on Thursday, when they knocked off Raritan Valley CC with a 65-48 win on the road. The Falcons led wire-to-wire, putting three players in double-figures and forcing 16 turnovers, scoring 17 points off those turnovers in the process. Nya Jackson led the way with 15 points, going 5-for-11 from the floor, posting four rebounds, and grabbing three steals. Dominique Geiger added 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting, while Gabrielle Jackson had 11 points and four rebounds. Mahogony Collins had a team-high 13 rebounds, while also posting eight points for the Falcons. You can read the recap HERE.  
 
The Falcons are averaging just over 62 points per game, and are giving up slightly over 65 points per game through their first eight contests. The shooting percentage has steadily improved, as the Falcons are hitting around 35% from the field, and are holding opponents to 35% on the year. Lackawanna College has struggled from deep, shooting just 14% from downtown this year. Lackawanna is hitting 66% of its free throws this season, making as many (111) as their opponents have attempted (111). The Falcons are -2.3 in rebounding margin so far this season, but have forced an average of 15 turnovers per game this season, and they average four blocks per game on the year. Lackawanna College averages 15.8 turnovers per game, and their opponents average 9.4 steals per game.
 
The Falcons are balanced, with six players averaging eight points or more per game this season, but nobody is scoring in double-figures at the moment. Nya Jackson (Harrisburg, PA), a returner from last year, is averaging a team-high 9.6 points per game this season. Jackson averages 4.4 rebounds per game, and leads Lackawanna in assists, putting up 17 in seven games of work. Jackson is shooting 29.5% from the field, but is 20-for-26 from the free throw line on the season, a team-best 77% average. Jackson has ten steals in seven games, second on the team in total steals. Jackson has scored in double-figures four times this season, scoring her season-best 16 points in the loss to Harcum. In that game, Nya had six shots from the floor and had five rebounds and three assists. Jackson scored 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting, and a 4-for-5 performance from the free throw line, while grabbing four rebounds and posting three assists. In two games against Union last year, Jackson had four points, two assists, and a rebound in minutes off the bench.  
 
Last year's second-leading scorer, and 2^nd Team All-Region selection, Gabrielle Jackson (Darby Twp, PA), is tied for this year's second-leading scorer, averaging 9.5 points per game. Jackson is pulling down around three rebounds per contest, and has 13 total assists and seven total steals so far this year in six games. Jackson, back for her third year, is second on the team in field goal percentage (46.8%) and has made 12 free throws through her six games. Jackson has scored in double-figures four times 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. Against Raritan, Jackson had eleven points on 5-for-9 shooting, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out a pair of assists. In three games against Union last year, Jackson had a combined 33 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds. Her best game came in the first of the year, where she scored a team-high 21 points and ten rebounds at Union. She averaged 4.7 assists per game against Union last year.  
 
Dominique Geiger (Plainfield, NJ) has had a good start to her first season as a Falcon, and is currently tied with Jackson for second on the team with 9.5 points per game this year. Geiger is hitting 43.7% of her shots this year, and has hit ten free throws this season. Geiger has six steals on the season and has seven assists. She's gone for double-digits in points in three 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. Geiger scored 14 points and was 6-for-12 from the field in the win over Raritan Valley on Thursday. 
 
Cianna Roberts, who played a majority of bench minutes a year ago, is fourth on the team, averaging 8.9 points per game and pulling down 4.5 rebounds per game, fourth on the squad. Roberts is hitting around 36% of her shots this year, and has been the most accurate of the three-point shooters for the Falcons, going 6-for-25 from deep this year. Roberts is third on the team with eight steals so far this season. She has scored in double-figures three times 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. Cianna scored two points and had six rebounds in 15 minutes of work against Raritan Valley on Thursday. Last year, Roberts had a combined nine points and three rebounds against Union in two games, including seven points and two rebounds on the road in the Region XIX semi-finals.
 
Sidney Spence (Bronx, NY) is averaging 8.6 points per game on the year. Spence leads the team in shooting, hitting 49% of her shots this year, and is second on the team in free throw percentage, hitting 75% of her shots from the charity stripe this season where she is tied for first on the team in makes (21). She's third on the team in rebounds (5.3 per game) and has six steals this year. Spence had scored in double-figures for four straight games, all in bench minutes for the Falcons, and had a season-best 19 points in 23 minutes in the win over Jamestown. 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 had 12 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench against Harcum, going 6-for-9 from the floor. Spence had five points and five rebounds in 12 minutes against Raritan Valley on Thursday.
 
Another third-year returner, McKeyah Duley (Massillon, OH), is averaging 8.3 points per game so far this season. Duley is shooting around 26% overall from the field, and has struggled from downtown, normally her specialty, hitting seven three-pointers in the early going this year. Duley averages 6.1 rebounds per game, second on the team, and is 21-for-29 from the free throw line, a 72.4% average. Duley's 12 steals this season are a team best. Duley hit double-figures twice already this season, going for her season-high 15 points 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 eight points on 2-for-12 shooting, but set a career-high with 15 rebounds in the win over Essex two weeks ago. McKeyah struggled against Raritan, going 2-for-11, but mad six points and five rebounds in the win. In three games against Union last year, Duley had a combined 16 points and 16 rebounds.  
 
Mahogony Collins (Harrisburg, PA) is up to 5.9 points per game this year, and is now over ten rebounds per game, tops on the team. Collins has also denied a team-best 30 shots in all eight of her games this year, good for 3.8 blocks per game. Collins is now shooting 33% from the field this year, and has 26 offensive rebounds on the year. Collins got her season and career-high in points against Essex, where she scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds, along with six blocks.  She's crossed double-digits in rebounds five times this year, already. She set a season-high with seven blocks in the loss to Harcum earlier this season. Against Raritan, Collins had eight points and 13 rebounds. It was the fourth straight game where she had double-digit rebounds. Collins had four points, five rebounds, and two assists in the only game she played against Union last year.  
 
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 tenth-ranked Union County College Owls (5-2, 2-1) come into the contest after their first loss in Region XIX Division II in almost two years, dropping a 70-54 decision to Harcum College on Tuesday evening earlier this week. Harcum used a killer third-quarter run to break open a six-point game into a 16-point deficit, one that Union wouldn't be able to kick start the offense to overcome.  Harcum was 13-for-16 from the free throw line, and shot 41% from the field for the game.
 
The Owls are averaging 70.3 points per game, and, apart from a blowout win against Raritan, their other four wins have all been within two possessions. Even though they have just two losses, both have been by double-digits, putting their points allowed per game at 70.6. Heading into the Harcum game, the Owls were shooting 41% from the field and 30% from downtown, while their opponents were slightly better from the floor (43.6%) and from deep (34.7%). The Owls have been outrebounded by -6 margin, but they have forced nearly 20 turnovers per game, and average around 13 steals per contest this year. The Owls also average over 17 turnovers of their own, per game.  
 
The Owls are led by Khila Morris, who is averaging a team-best 18.8 points per game heading into the Harcum contest on Tuesday. Morris is shooting 47% from the field, and has hit around 33% of her three-point shots this year. Morris is a 77.5% free throw shooter, and is 31-for-40 from the charity stripe on the year, a team-high for attempts and makes. Morris averages six rebounds per game, and has 20 assists and 17 steals in six games so far this year. Heading into the Harcum game, Morris had five games where she scored in double-figures, twice over 20 points. Her season-high came in an 89-85 win over Montgomery College in the season opener, scoring 32 points on 11 made shots, and going 9-for-10 from the free throw line. She also had her season-high eight rebounds in the win. She had 19 points and season-highs in assists (7) and steals (6) in a 73-71 win over Monroe College Bronx.   
 
Nia Mallette is second on the team with 11.8 points per game so far this season. Mallette is shooting around 36.6% from the field this year, and is 7-for-19 from downtown on the season. She's a 70.6% free throw shooter, and is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game this year. Mallette has ten assists on the year, and nine steals so far this season. Heading into the Harcum game, Mallette had three games where she scored in double-figures. She had her season-high in the win over Monroe Bronx, where she scored 31 points on 11-for-15 shooting, making five three-point shots on the day. She had 12 points and ten rebounds, a season-high, in the 66-63 win over Essex. In three games against Lackawanna last season, Mallette had a combined 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists. She had 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the regular season game at home last year, and then had 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the regular season game at Lackawanna last season.   
 
Third on the team in scoring is Ahjanae Young, averaging 11.3 points per game this year. Young is shooting 41.2% from the field this season, and has made six three-point shots. Young averages 3.3 rebounds per game, and has 18 assists in six games on the year. Heading into the Harcum game, Young had scored in double-figures five times in her six games. She hit her season-high of 14 points in the 92-60 win over Raritan Valley, making a season-high six shots from the field, and set her season-high in assists with five helpers. Against Essex, Young set her season-high in rebounds with eight boards, while also scoring eleven points.
 
Amyah Mars is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.5 points per game this season. Mars is shooting 36.7% from the field, and has made six three-pointers in six games. Mars averages 6.3 rebounds per game on the year, and has 14 assists and ten steals on the season. Three times this year, Mars has scored in double-figures, with her season-high of 18 points coming against Raritan Valley. She made seven shots from the field and had seven rebounds in the win. In the first game of the season against Montgomery, Mars had her only double-double of the year, scoring eleven points and posting a season-high ten rebounds against the Raptors.   
 
The head coach for Union County is Marbely Montas, in her sixth 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 122-34 in her six years in charge at Union County. Last year, she led the Owls to a 26-6 record, a Region XIX championship, and a national tournament appearance, where they went 1-2.
  
The Match-Up
Tip-off is set for 1:00pm ET inside the Lackawanna College Student Union Gymnasium. The game is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at the door for both students ($3) and adults ($5). For those who can't make the game, there will be a video livestream available at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, and also via the Region 19 Sports Network. Steve Young will provide the play-by-play, and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide the color commentary.
 
The next game for the Falcons is the final home game for the fall semester, when they play host to County College of Morris at the Lackawanna College Student Union in Scranton, PA. That game is scheduled for Thursday, December 15^th, and will be the first of a doubleheader, with the men's teams to play after the women's teams.