12/6/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College men's basketball is back in action for the first of three road games this week. It starts on Tuesday, December 6^th, when the Falcons take the trip down interstate 81 to take on Penn State Hazleton.  
 
The game is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off inside the PSU Hazleton Physical Education Building. There will be a video livestream available via the Penn State Hazleton YouTube channel, linked HERE.  
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (6-2) is off to its best start since going 11-2 to open the first half of the 2017-2018 season. That year, the Falcons won their first six games, and were 8-1 before their second loss. Most recently, the Falcons were in action on the road against Mercer County CC on the road on Saturday. The Falcons had four players hit double-figures and built a 20+ point lead in the first half, one they'd never surrender, as Lackawanna led wire-to-wire in the 88-68 win. The Falcons shot 52% from the field, and forced 23 turnovers, 12 on steals, in the victory. Nasir Brown and Julian Wilson led the way, each scoring 20 points in the victory. Brown had 20 points, nine rebounds, and three assists on 8-for-13 shooting, most of his damage coming in the first half and early in the second. Wilson saw his most playing time of the year, made the most of it, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the second half and bringing down 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the year. Caleb Mims added 13 points, while Malek Mims had 12 points for Lackawanna College.
 
The Falcons are averaging 79 points per game this season, allowing 74 points per game on the year. The Falcons are shooting 44.6% from the field, but have struggled from deep, hitting just 29%. Lackawanna gets to the free throw line a lot, having made almost as many free throws as a team (130) as their opponents have attempted this year (146). Lackawanna is shooting 61% from the free throw line. The Falcons average 41.5 rebounds per game, with a +5.7 margin, and they have forced an average of 19 turnovers per game, with around 9.5 steals per contest for the Falcon defense. Opponents are shooting 40% from the field this season, and have hit 30% of their three-point attempts this year. Falcon opponents have forced an average of 18.5 Lackawanna turnovers per game.   
 
Nasir Brown (Wilmington, DE) leads the Falcons in scoring at 19.3 points per game on the season. He's second on the team in rebounding (5.8) and leads the team in 3PT FGs made (12). Brown is tops on the team in FT% (73%). Brown is second on the team with 14 steals this season. He's hit double-figures in seven of the first eight games, and has gone for 20 or more points in four straight games. His season-high of 25 points came against Essex two weeks ago. Brown hit a season-high ten shots from the field, and had four steals, tying a season-high. Against Mercer, Brown had 20 points and nine rebounds, shooting 8-for-13 from the field on the day.  
 
Malek Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is second on the team with 12.3 points per game this season. Mims leads the Falcons in steals (19), and averages 3.9 rebounds per game from his point guard spot. Mims has hit on 42.4% of his shots this season, and is second on the team in assists (22) this year. Mims has scored in double-figures six times this season, going for his season-best 20 points against Dundalk. In that game, he went 7-for-10 from the field, while pulling down six boards and compiling six steals. Against Mercer, Malek had 12 points and four rebounds, as well as a pair of steals and assists in the win. He shot 4-for-10 from the field and hit both of his free throws against the Vikings.  
 
Caleb Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is third on the team at 10.6 points per game this year. Mims leads the Falcons in assists (25), and averages 3.9 rebounds per game from his guard position. Mims shoots 42% from the field, and leads the Falcons in made free throw shots (32), shooting 66% overall from the line. Mims has scored in double-figures five times this year including his last four games, and went for his season-high 16 points against SUNY Rockland. Mims had five assists in the win, and hit four shots from the field, while going 7-for-12 from the free throw line. Caleb had 13 points in the win against Mercer, going 5-for-8 from the field and setting his season-high with six rebounds.   
 
Aamir Mack (Atlantic City, NJ) is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.8 points per game. Mack averages just shy of five rebounds per game, and hits around 48% of his shots from the field. Mack hits around 62% of his shots from the free throw line this year. Mack has hit for double-figures in points four times this season, going for his season-high of 17 points in the opening contest against CCBC Catonsville. His best rebounding output was his seven boards against Baltimore City CC. Mack had 12 points and seven rebounds coming off the bench for the Falcons, shooting 5-for-11 from the field. In his last game, Mack scored four points and had three rebounds in ten minutes of work against Mercer County CC.     
 
Nashawn Johnson is averaging 7.3 points per game this year, and has started the last four games for the Falcons, where they've gone 3-1. He's first on the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, and is shooting around 42% from the field so far this season. Johnson scored his season-high with 14 points in the win over Rockland, pulling down ten rebounds for his first double-double of the year. Johnson was an efficient 5-for-7 from the field. Johnson set a season-high with 16 rebounds in the win over Delaware Tech, also scoring seven points for the Falcons in the win. Johnson had nine points and seven rebounds, as well as a pair of assists, in the win over Mercer. Nashawn had six points and four rebounds in the win over PSU Hazleton at home last year.   
 
Rahmad Ali (Newark, NJ) is averaging 6.5 points per game this season, while also pulling down a little over four rebounds per game, fourth on the team. Ali is third on the squad with 16 assists, and is fourth on the team in steals (8). Ali is shooting around 49% from the field this year, and is shooting 44% (8-for-18) from downtown this season. Rahmad has gone for double-figures twice this season, and had his best game against Essex, scoring a season-high 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including a pair of three-point shots. He also had four rebounds against the Wolverines. Ali scored three points and had a pair of assists and two steals against Mercer on Saturday. Rahmad did not play against PSU Hazleton last year.   
 
Niare Poplar (Philadelphia, PA) has so far been one of the better bench players for the Falcons this year, averaging 4.3 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per contest in his eight appearances. Poplar is hitting 42% of his shots this season, and has gone 5-for-16 from three-point range this season. Poplar had ten points and four rebounds in the win over Dundalk, his season-high for points. Poplar had a season-best six rebounds, as well as two assists and two blocks, but did not score in the win over Delaware Tech. Against Mercer, Poplar had two points and two rebounds in 16 minutes.
 
In his third season in charge, Landon Gabriel returns to the sidelines to lead the Falcons. Gabriel, who spent ten seasons coaching at Carbondale Area HS in the rough and tumble Lackawanna League, feels like this can be a season of positive momentum for the Falcons, where, now with his first true recruiting class, he can really implement the high-tempo defense and energy he wants to see from his squad. Gabriel is a King's College graduate, where he played for the Monarchs, after graduating from Carbondale Area HS before that.
 
About the Opponents
Penn State Hazleton (3-5) is on the wrong end of a four-game skid entering the contest. In their last game, the Nittany Lions lost to Penn State Shenango, 92-69, on the road in Sharon, PA. Shenango shot 44% both from the field and from three-point range, hitting 12 treys, while outrebounding PSU Hazleton 55-24, posting a 29-6 second-chance point advantage. Hazleton was just 26% from three on the night, and got outscored 44-24 on points in the paint. The Nittany Lions put three players in double-figures, but got just 15 bench points.
 
PSU Hazleton is averaging 67 points per game this season, but is giving up 75.6 on the year. The Nittany Lions are shooting around 38% from the field, and just 27% from deep, while their opponents are averaging 43% and 35%, respectively, so far this season. Hazleton has a -15 rebounding margin, but the Nittany Lions are averaging 10 steals per game, and are forcing around 20 turnovers per game from their opponents.
 
Jahdon Jerome is the leading scorer for the Nittany Lions, averaging 14.0 points per game this year. Jerome is shooting around 49% from the field this year, tops on the team, and averages 2.9 rebounds per contest. Jerome is second on the team with two steals per contest, and also averages 1.7 assists per game, fourth on the team. He's scored in double-figures five times this season, going for his season-high of 21 points in the opening game of the year, a 76-63 win over Berkeley. Jerome has scored in double-figures in his last two games, including a team-high 16 points in the loss to Shenango. Jerome was 6-for-12 from the field, and had four rebounds and two assists in the loss. Jerome had one point in six minutes of work off the bench last year in the loss to Lackawanna.
 
Colin Johnson is second on the team in scoring, averaging just under 12 points per game this year. Johnson is shooting around 37% from the field, and hits around 32% of his three-point shots, second on the team. His 16 makes from deep is tops on the squad. Johnson's 4.3 rebounds per game is tied for second on the team, and his 1.9 assists per game is also tied for second on the team. Johnson has scored in double-figures four times in eight games this season, hitting his season-best 24 points in a 70-67 win over Penn State DuBois, where he made a season-high eight shots, six of which came from three-point range. Johnson had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting, while grabbing a pair of rebounds, in the loss to Shenango. Johnson played in last year's match-up with Lackawanna, scoring 8 points and grabbing six rebounds, but going 0-for-8 from three-point territory in the 72-61 loss in Scranton.
 
Donovan Cumberbatch is third on the team, averaging 11.4 points per game so far this season, and leading the Nittany Lions in rebounds per game at 5.8. Cumberbatch also leads the team in assists per game (3.4) and steals per contest (2.5). He's shooting 43.9%, second on the team, and is hitting around 30% from three-point range this year. Cumberbatch has scored in double-figures six times this season, and scored his season-high with 17 points in the loss to PSU New Kensington, 70-57. In that game, Cumberbatch made seven shots and had nine rebounds, navigating four fouls. Cumberbatch set his season-high for rebounds with ten in the win over PSU DuBois, but scored just six points, his season-low, in the game. Against Shenango, Cumberbatch had 13 points and six rebounds, as well as a pair of assists, in the loss. Cumberbatch scored just two points in about ten minutes of work off the bench in the loss to Lackawanna College last year.
 
Kyle Artis and Aiden Wiktor are both averaging 7.5 points per game so far this season. Artis is shooting around 30% from the field, but is hitting around 86% from the free throw line, while pulling down 4.3 rebounds per game. Artis has scored in double-figures three times this season, scoring ten points each time, including in his last game against Shenango. In that game, he made a season-best five free throws. Wiktor is averaging 41% from the field, and is first on the team in three-point percentage, hitting around 41% from deep. Wiktor averages three rebounds per game, and around 1.6 assists per contest. Wiktor has hit double-figures in scoring just once this season, going for 19 points in the 80-60 win over Penn State Scranton, where he hit a season-high four three-pointers. Wiktor appeared against Shenango, but did not score. Wiktor got the start against Lackawanna last season, and put up five points and two rebounds in the loss.
 
Jerome Warrick is averaging 7.3 points per game this year, hitting 43% of his shots from the field on the season. Warrick is averaging 3.6 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per contest this year. Warrick has scored in double-figures twice this season, scoring his season-high of 15 points in a 67-53 loss to Penn State Lehigh Valley. In that game, Warrick hit five shots and made five free throws, and set his season-high with seven rebounds. Against Shenango, Warrick had six points and three rebounds.
 
The head coach for Penn State is longtime leader Jeff Rush, into his 12^th season at the helm for the Nittany Lions. Rush has been with the program as a head coach since the 2010 season, and has been with the program in general since 2007. Rush has helped PSU Hazleton to several PSUAC Northern Championships, and a handful of appearances at the Bryce Jordan Center in the PSUAC championships. Rush is a Hazleton Area graduate, and played basketball for the Cougars under the legendary Bruce Leib. After his time at Hazleton Area, Rush eventually made his way back to the Cougars to coach underneath Leib, before jumping to Penn State Hazleton. Last year, Hazleton went 9-15, but struggled in the back half of the season, going just 2-10 in the spring semester.
 
Game Information
The game is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off inside the PSU Hazleton Physical Education Building. There will be a video livestream available via the Penn State Hazleton YouTube channel, linked HERE.  
 
Lackawanna College continues its road swing with the first match-up of the year with Raritan Valley CC on Thursday, December 8^th. The Lions beat the Falcons three times last season, including in a dominant performance in the Region XIX playoffs last year, ending the Falcons' season. The Raritan game is the second of a doubleheader, with the women's teams playing first at 5:00pm ET, followed by the men's game at 7:00pm ET at Raritan Valley CC.