2/12/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Men's Basketball team, fresh off a massive victory in a must-win game, dip back into their non-conference schedule to host a team they played earlier this week: The Monroe College Mustangs. The second game in five days between both teams is set for a 4:00pm ET start, as the second game of a doubleheader at the Lackawanna Student Union, with the women's teams getting things started at 2:00pm ET.
 
In the first match-up, the Mustangs, receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division I polls, were impressive throughout, shooting 53% from the field, and a blistering 54% from downtown, on their way to a 103-69 win in New Rochelle, NY. Read the recap HERE.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (6-14) are coming into Saturday's game after winning an important Region XIX game over Delaware Tech, 89-75, this past Thursday night at the Lackawanna Student Union. Lackawanna College trailed by a point at halftime, in desperate need of a spark, and came out in the second half on fire, going on a 21-2 run to open the half, and never looking back. The Falcons scored 52 points in the second half while shooting a scorching 64% from the field. Lackawanna put five players in double-figures, including four of their starters, and dominated in the paint, outscoring Del Tech 42-20 in the painted area. Nashawn Johnson led Lackawanna with a season-high 17 points, while Ahmir Ellzy and Jaylen Davis each added 15 points. Read the full recap HERE.
 
Jaylen Davis is the team-leader in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game so far this year, along with 8.7 rebounds per game, also first on the team. "JD" has scored in double-figures in 13 games this year, going over 20+ points four times, and scoring a season-high 25 points against PSU-Hazleton on opening night. Davis's 16 rebounds against Morris earlier this year was a season-high, and he now has six double-doubles this year. Davis is shooting 54.9% from the field on the year, and averages two assists per game. Against Delaware Tech, he set his season-high with seven assists. Davis had 16 points and nine rebounds on an efficient 8-for-10 showing against Monroe in the match-up earlier this week, but battled foul trouble in the second half. He had 15 points, six rebounds, and seven assists against Delaware Tech on Thursday.
 
Will Johnson is the second-leading scorer this year, averaging eleven points per game. Johnson has scored in double-figures in 12 of his last 15 games, but was held scoreless for the second time this year against Monroe. Earlier this year, Johnson had 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 leads the Falcons with 4.2 assists per game this season, and also leads the Falcons with 18 steals this year. Johnson is the second on the team in free throw shooting, hitting 77% from the charity stripe this season. Johnson, despite being held scoreless, still affected the game against Monroe, dishing out six assists in their last game. Against Delaware Tech, he scored seven points, grabbed a season-high eight rebounds, and dished another six assists. Will is averaging 5.8 assists in his last six games.
 
David Pope is third on the team with 10.5 points per game on the year. Pope is hitting around 41% of his shots this year, and leads the Falcons with 28 made three-pointers. Pope leads the Falcons in free throw shooting, hitting 78%, and has scored in double-figures eleven times this year, eight times since January 1^st. Pope has hit his season-high 19 points twice now, against Harcum and SUNY Sullivan. Pope hit a season-high four three-pointers against Cecil, his first start of the season. In his last ten games, before the Del Tech game, Pope was averaging 13.3 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and shooting 46.1% from the field, while knocking down 18 three-pointers. Pope was scoreless for the first time all season against Delaware Tech, only playing six minutes on Thursday He had 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, hitting a pair of triples and pulling in five rebounds against Monroe earlier this week.
 
Daryl Coleman is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging ten points per game this season. Coleman is also averaging 4.7 rebounds per game, and is the team's second-best three-point threat, hitting 23 threes this year. Coleman has scored in double-figures eight times this season, including a season-high 20 points against Mercer County CC. Coleman had 12 points, including a stretch where he scored seven straight, against Monroe College earlier this week. Coleman scored 12 points, while pulling down four rebounds and dishing a season-high six assists against Delaware Tech on Thursday.  
 
Ahmir Ellzy is fifth on the team, averaging 9.1 points per game this season. Ellzy had a breakout game against Raritan, scoring a season-high 23 points for the Falcons off the bench. Ellzy hit a season-best nine shots, including five three-pointers, and also grabbed six rebounds. Ellzy has hit double-figures seven times this year. Ellzy is third on the team with 2.5 assists per game this season. Ellzy is fourth on the team at 20 made three-pointers on the year. Ellzy, an All-Region selection last year, got a start against Delaware Tech, and had 15 points and was an efficient 7-for-11 from the field. He had seven points and five rebounds against Monroe earlier this week.    
 
Magd Abdelwahab is averaging 7.1 points per game this year. Magd has hit double-figures five times this year, including his season-high 23 points against Niagara County CC earlier this season. Magd is hitting 34% of his shots this year, is fifth on the team with 17 made three-pointers, and is also second on the team with 2.6 assists per game. Magd scored 21 points against Catonsville, including 15 in the second half. At one point, Magd scored 10 straight points for the Falcons to get them back into the game. Magd, after missing the previous two games, returned in a big role for the Falcons against CCBC Dundalk, leading the bench mob in the first half with 12 of his team-high 16 points. Magd had 16 points, seven rebounds, and a pair of assists against Dundalk. He had two points in the win over Delaware Tech. Magd also scored two points against Monroe, but did manage six assists and six rebounds.
 
Gabe Springer is second on the Falcons with 7.2 rebounds per game, and is averaging 5.9 points per game, while also leading the team in blocks (22) this season. Before his 16-point performance against Mercer, his career-best was a 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. The 16 points against Mercer gave Gabe his third game in double-figures this season. Springer had seven points and three rebounds against Monroe College earlier this week. Gabe had a solid eight point, 13-rebound performance against Delaware Tech on Thursday.
 
Brandon Scott is averaging 6.3 points per game in his 14 appearances this year. He's an efficient 51% from the field, and is also averaging 3.3 rebounds per game. Scott's 13 points against Mercer was the second time he's scored in double-digits this season. He had a season-high 16 points against Harcum College. Scott had 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the win over Delaware Tech. He also scored eight points and had four rebounds against Monroe in their first meeting.
 
Nashawn Johnson, who was also an All-Region selection last year, is averaging 5.3 points per game this season. Johnson has seen his role increase with absences from some other players in recent games, and had his best game to date against Delaware Tech, where he scored a season-high 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while going 7-for-10 from the floor and starting his sixth game of the year. Nashawn had three points and a rebound against Monroe in the last meeting.
 
Lackawanna College is averaging around 76 points per game as a team, while shooting at 42.1% overall and 26.2% from beyond-the-arc. The Falcons are also hitting around 66% from the free-throw line. Lackawanna College holds a +5 rebounding margin, and has 90 blocks as a team, but the Falcons average around 19 turnovers per game, and are allowing their opponents to shoot 43% from the field so far this year. Teams are hitting 33.5% from downtown against the Falcons defense, while putting up nearly 84 points per game.
 
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
The Monroe College Mustangs (21-6) have won 17 of their last 20 games, but had a seven-game winning streak snapped on Thursday night, in a loss to nationally-ranked Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA, 84-81. Monroe, receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division I poll, held a 41-37 lead at halftime, but traded the lead back and forth with the Bears into the final minutes of the game. Harcum held a three-point lead in the dying moments, when Monroe had possession to try to tie, only to be called for a turnover. The Bears got the ball, and were able to run out the clock to get the win. Monroe managed 18 offensive rebounds for the game, but shot just 38% from the field, including an uncharacteristic 3-for-19 from downtown, while Harcum was their usual efficient selves, hitting 51% from the field and knocking down 15 three-pointers. Monroe put three players in double-figures, with Hamdel Mohammed's 25 points leading the way. Melvin Council Jr. had 23 points, and Tyje Kelton added 12 points and ten rebounds.  
 
The Mustangs are scoring over 84 points per game this year, while giving up 73 per contest. Monroe is shooting around 43% this season, and their opponents are hitting around 41%. Opponents have hit 32% from three-point range, and the Mustangs have done around the same, at 31% so far this year. Monroe has an even rebounding margin on the year, but the Mustangs have forced nearly 22 turnovers per game this season, averaging almost eleven steals per contest.    
 
Monroe is extremely balanced in scoring this season, but somehow has just one player in double-figures on the year. That is Melvin Council Jr., who is averaging 23.6 points per game this year. Council also leads the team in rebounding (7.7 per game), steals (3.0 per game) and assists (3.1 per game). Council is shooting around 44% from the field, and is second on the team in free throw shooting (81.9%). Council has scored in double-figures in all 27 of his appearances this season, scoring over 20+ points 19 times, and scoring 30+ on three separate occasions this year. Council has hit his season-high of 35 points twice this season, the latest coming in a win over SUNY Sullivan, where he hit 13 field goals and was 9-for-10 from the FT line. Council has three double-doubles on the year, with his best performance being a 30-point, 18-rebound, 7-assisst showing against Cape Fear, a game where he also went 14-for-16 from the FT line. Council had 23 points and nine rebounds against Harcum on Thursday. His 12 points against Lackawanna College was his season-low this year.
 
Isac Ahnstrand is second on the team with 9.2 points per game this year. Ahnstrand is the team-leader in three-point accuracy (38.3%) and is shooting around 43% overall this year. Ahnstrand is third on the team in assists per game at 2.1, and is second on the team in steals at 1.4 per game. Ahnstrand has scored in double-figures on eleven different occasions, scoring his season-high 19 points against Monroe College Bronx, where he hit four three-pointers and pulled down a season-high six rebounds. Ahnstrand has hit four three-pointers in a game on five separate occasions. Arhnstrand scored 14 points, on 4-for-7 shooting, all four shots from deep, against Lackawanna College earlier this week. He scored five points against Harcum College in his last appearance.
 
Hamdel Mohammed is tied for second on the team, averaging 9.2 points per game this year, as well, and is the team leader at 52% shooting so far this season. Mohammed is second on the team at seven rebounds per contest, and leads the team in rejections, blocking 21 shots this year. Mohammed has scored in double-figures ten times this year, scoring his season-high 25 points against Harcum in his last game. He pulled down nine rebounds against the Bears. Three times this year, Mohammed has reached double-figures in rebounds, including his season-best 18-point, 16-rebound performance against Howard CC. Hamdel had 16 points and eleven rebounds against Lackawanna College, shooting 7-for-10 from the field.
 
Tyje Kelton is third on the team with 9.1 points per game so far this year. Kelton is second on the team in shooting at 47.1% overall, and is third on the team in rebounding with 5.1 rebounds per game. Kelton has hit double-figures in 13 games this year, including seven of his last eight games. Kelton had a season-high 19 points against Niagara County CC earlier this year, where he also pulled down nine rebounds. His season-high in rebounds came against Harcum, where he grabbed ten boards and scored 12 points. Twice this year, Kelton has gotten a double-double. Kelton is averaging eleven points and 6.5 rebounds per game on 49.2% shooting in his last eight games. Tyje scored 12 points, had ten rebounds, four steals, and four assists against Harcum College. He had 13 points and seven rebounds earlier this week against Lackawanna College.  
 
Keith Warren Jr. is averaging 8.3 points per game for the Mustangs this year. Warren is second on the team in assists per game at 2.4, and leads Monroe in free throw shooting at 83% from the line. Warren has hit double-figures nine times this year, with his season-high of 30 points coming against Cape Fear. Warren was 10-for-22 from the field, and made five three-pointers, while going 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Twice this year, Warren has made five three-pointers. Warren had a season-high seven assists against Richard Bland College, a game in which he scored 11 points. Warren had three points and three assists against Harcum College in his previous game. He did not play against Lackawanna College in their previous game.  
 
Nikola Danicic has seen time in 26 of the 27 games this year for Monroe, starting in half of his appearances. Danicic is averaging 5.3 points per game, and shooting around 47% from the field this year. Danicic has scored in double-figures five times this year, four of which have come since January. Danicic had a season-high 16 points against Cecil College, where he was 8-for-13 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. His season-high in rebounding came against SUNY Sullivan, where he pulled down ten boards while scoring ten points for his lone double-double this year. He had four points and one rebound against Harcum College in his last game, and scored just one point against Lackawanna College in three minutes of work earlier this week.
 
The head coach for Monroe is longtime leader Jeff Brustad, now in his 19^th season and 20^th overall year at Monroe College. Brustad is a 12-time Region XV Coach of the Year at Monroe, helping the Mustangs to 12 Region XV championships in his tenure, and eight District Championships, leading to eight appearances in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament. Monroe's best finish was third place in the NJCAA tournament in 2010-2011, and they followed that up with a fifth place finish, while tying the school-record for wins in a year (33). Brustad is a SUNY Oneonta graduate, and earned his masters from Lehman College before joining the coaching ranks at Monroe. He's also a member of the faculty at Monroe College. Brustad is 495-136 in his 19 seasons at the helm of the Mustangs.
 
Game Information
The match-up is set for a 4:00pm ET tip-off at the Lackawanna Student Union in Scranton, PA. Tickets will be sold at the door to both adults ($5) and students ($3), and Lackawanna College students can get in for free by showing their student ID. Current Lackawanna College Athletics Spectator Policy is that all fans in attendance, regardless of vaccination status, MUST wear a mask. To view the full Lackawanna College Athletics Spectator Policy, click HERE.
 
There is a video livestream available, via the Lackawanna College Athletics YouTube channel. Steve Young will provide the play-by-play, while Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide the color commentary. You can watch the game happen, live, at www.lackawannafalcons.com/YouTube.
 
The Falcons get back into Region XIX play on Monday, February 14^th, when they travel to Newark, NJ, to take on Essex County College. With a win, the Falcons can guarantee themselves a .500 region record. That game will tip at 7:00pm ET, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams playing  first at 5:00pm ET.