2/14/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Men's Basketball team completed part one of their Region XIX playoff objective on Thursday night, with a win over Delaware Tech. Now, the Falcons turn their attention to part two, with a Region XIX road game against Essex County College on Monday, February 14^th. A win, and the Falcons are .500 in region play, and are more-or-less guaranteed a spot in the Region XIX playoffs. A loss, and the Falcons would most likely not have a chance to defend their Region XIX title. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm ET, and the game will be the second of a doubleheader, with the women's teams playing first at 5:00pm ET.
 
In the first match-up, Lackawanna College overcame a ten-point halftime deficit to knock off Essex, 87-83, in their first match-up back in November. Read the recap HERE.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (6-15, 4-5) are coming into the game after a tough loss to NJCAA Division I Monroe College, 103-95 in double overtime. The Falcons, playing Monroe for the second time in five days, had the Mustangs on the ropes in the second half and at the end of the first overtime, but Monroe managed to respond with big shots down the stretch. Lackawanna shot 47% from the field, but committed 22 turnovers in the game, leading to 23 points for the Mustangs. Three Falcons scored in double-figures, including Jaylen Davis with a season-best 31 points and 14 rebounds. Read the recap HERE.
 
Jaylen Davis is the team-leader in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game so far this year, along with 9.1 rebounds per game, also first on the team. "JD" has scored in double-figures in 14 games this year, going over 20+ points five times, and scoring a season-high 31 points against Monroe College in his last game, where he went 13-for-16 from the field and had 14 rebounds. Davis had 16 rebounds against Morris earlier this year, which is his season-high, and he now has seven double-doubles this year. Davis is shooting 57.1% from the field on the year, and averages 2.1 assists per game. Against Delaware Tech, he set his season-high with seven assists. Davis is averaging 20.7 points per game in his last three, and shooting 73% from the field. Jaylen had 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the win over Essex earlier this season.
 
Will Johnson is the second-leading scorer this year, averaging 10.8 points per game. Johnson has scored in double-figures in 12 of his last 16 games. 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 21 steals this year. Johnson leads Lackawanna in free throw shooting, hitting 78.5% from the charity stripe this season. Johnson is third on the team with 22 made three-pointers, and is averaging six assists per game in his last three contests. He had seven points, six assists, and three steals in the loss to Monroe, but hit what looked to be a go-ahead three with 10 seconds remaining in the first overtime, before the Mustangs rallied to tie it. Johnson had just five points and four assists in the win over Essex earlier this year.
 
David Pope is third on the team with 10.1 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 is second on the team 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 two points in ten minutes against Monroe on Saturday. Pope had 13 points and four rebounds while hitting a pair of three-pointers against Essex in their first match-up.
 
Daryl Coleman is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game this season. Coleman is also averaging 4.5 rebounds per game, good enough for third on the team, and is the team's second-best three-point threat, hitting 25 threes this year. Coleman has scored in double-figures eight times this season, including a season-high 20 points against Mercer County CC. Coleman has hit double-figures in three of his last four games, averaging 10.8 points per game in that span. He had eight points, a pair of assists, and a pair of blocks against Monroe, and he hit a big three-point shot late in regulation.  Coleman had eight points and eight rebounds against Essex earlier this season.
 
Ahmir Ellzy is fifth on the team, averaging 9.3 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 eight times this year, including four of his last six games. In that span, Ahmir is averaging 13.7 points per game, five rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists per game. Ellzy is third on the team with 2.6 assists per game this season. Ellzy is fourth on the team at 21 made three-pointers on the year. Ellzy, an All-Region selection last year, has started his last two games, scoring a combined 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Ellzy had 13 points, six boards, and four assists against Monroe. He scored 15 points, had seven rebounds, and dished out five assists while hitting big threes in the second half to knock off Essex earlier this season.     
 
Magd Abdelwahab is averaging seven 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 18 made three-pointers, and is also second on the team with 2.7 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. Magd had six points, seven rebounds, and four assists in his last game against Monroe. Against Essex this season, he had 12 points and three assists in 23 minutes.  
 
Gabe Springer is second on the Falcons with 7.2 rebounds per game, and is averaging six points per game, while also leading the team in blocks (24) 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. Gabe had eight points, six rebounds, and a pair of blocks against Monroe College in his last game. He scored six points, grabbed five rebounds, and had three blocks in the win against Essex earlier this year.
 
Brandon Scott is averaging six points per game in his 15 appearances this year. He's an efficient 51% from the field, and is also averaging 3.1 rebounds per game as a guard. Scott has scored in double-figures three times 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 scored two points in ten minutes of work against Monroe College on Saturday. Scott did not see the floor against Essex earlier this year.
 
Nashawn Johnson, who was also an All-Region selection last year, is averaging six points per game this season. Johnson has seen his role increase with absences from some other players in recent games, and had his best games to date in back-to-back contests, against both Delaware Tech and Monroe College. On Thursday against Del Tech, Nashawn scored 17 points, 15 in the first half, and grabbed seven boards to help the Falcons to their win. On Saturday, he set his season-high with 18 points and five rebounds against Monroe College, starting his second straight game. Nashawn had five points and six boards earlier this season against Essex.  
 
Lackawanna College is averaging around 77 points per game as a team, while shooting at 42.3% 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 97 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% from downtown against the Falcons defense, while putting up over 85 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 Essex County College Wolverines (8-10, 4-5) come into the contest after dropping their last game at Delaware Tech, 68-66, on Saturday afternoon, snapping a three-game winning streak for the Wolverines. The game was relatively close throughout, but it was Delaware Tech hitting free throws down the stretch to win it. Essex got a three-ball off at the horn, but the shot missed short, giving Del Tech the win.  After starting the year 0-6, the Wolverines have gone 8-4 in their last 12 games.
 
The Wolverines are scoring around 74 points per game this year, while giving up 75.6 per contest. Essex County is shooting around 43% this season, and their opponents are hitting around 42%. Opponents have hit 32% from three-point range, but the Wolverines have been a bit better, hitting nearly 34% so far this year. Essex has a -9 rebounding margin on the year, but the Wolverines only average around 11 turnovers per game.   
 
Essex has four players averaging double-figures on the year, with Pascal Dodard leading the way at 17.8 points per game this season. Dodard, who has started every game this year, is shooting around 43% from the field, third best on the squad, and is hitting 30% from downtown. Dodard leads the squad at 2.8 assists per game, and is also first on the team at 1.4 steals per game. Heading into the Del Tech game, Dodard had scored in double-figures in all but two games this season. His season-high 28 points came against Raritan Valley, where he hit a season-high 12 field goals and made three triples. Twice this year, Dodard has hit his season-high of nine rebounds, and he's also hit his season-high five assists on four different occasions. Dodard had 16 points, while pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out four assists against Lacakwanna earlier this year. Before the Delaware Tech game, he had 19 points in a win over ASA Brooklyn, going 6-for-8 from the free throw line.
 
Jonathan Delgado is second on the team, averaging 16.3 points per game this year. Delgado is the team's best three-point threat at 37.7% on the year, and is third on the team at 1.8 assists per game. He's hit double-figures in all but two games this year, and scored his season-high against Lackawanna College, where he scored 35 points and hit seven three-pointers in the loss earlier this year. Delgado has hit seven three-pointers in a game twice this season. Prior to the Delaware Tech loss, he scored 11 points in the win over ASA Brooklyn.
 
Jaheim Lewis is third on the team at 13.5 points per game this year. He's second on the team in three-point shooting (37.3%) and fourth in overall shooting (42.8%). Lewis is also second on the team in rebounds per game, at six per contest, and is tied for second on the team in assists per game (2.2). Lewis has gone over double-figures 13 times this year, and scored his season-high 26 points against Westchester earlier this year, when he made ten shots from the field and went 5-for-7 from the free throw line. He's hit double-figures in rebounds on four separate occasions this year, reaching his season-high of ten rebounds each time. Coincidentally, Lewis has four double-doubles this year. Lewis had 13 points and six rebounds against Lackawanna earlier this year. He had 14 points and three rebounds against ASA Brooklyn in his last game before the loss at Del Tech.
 
Michael Isaac is fourth on the team with 11.1 points per game, shooting 41.6% for the season. Isaac is tied with Lewis for second on the squad with 2.2 assists per game, and is averaging 4.3 rebounds per contest. Isaac has scored in double-figures eight times this year, six times in his last seven games, prior to the Delaware Tech game. Isaac has reached his season-high twice, scoring 24 points against both SUNY Rockland and Raritan Valley. He made eleven shots in the win over Rockland, while he hit eight shots against Raritan, including three three-pointers. Isaac was averaging 16.4 points per game in his last seven games, entering the Delaware Tech game. He had just six points and three rebounds against Lackawanna College earlier this season. Isaac scored 13 points against ASA Brooklyn.
 
Orion Mickens will see significant minutes for the Wolverines, averaging 8.7 points per game and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game. Mickens leads the team in shooting, hitting 58% of his shots this year. Mickens has scored in double-figures eight times this year, including his season-high 23 points against SUNY Rockland, where he went 9-for-13 from the floor. He also had a season-high 19 rebounds against Rockland, one of his six double-doubles this season. Mickens had nine points and ten rebounds against Lackawanna in their first match-up. Prior to the Delaware Tech game, he had four points against ASA Brooklyn.
 
Keon Evans will also see time for the Wolverines, averaging 6.7 points per game. Evans is third on the team in rebounding (5.3 per game) and leads the team with just a shade under one block per game. Evans is also second on the team in shooting, hitting 54.7% of his shots this year. Evans has hit double-figures in scoring on three separate occasions, with his season-high 12 points coming against County College of Morris in January. He's crossed the double-figure line in rebounds twice this year, with his season-high eleven coming against Bronx in his first game of the season. Evans had four points and six rebounds against Lackawanna in their first match-up. Prior to the Delaware Tech game, he had five points and six rebounds against ASA Brooklyn.
 
The head coach for Essex County College is Bobbie Morgan, currently in his fourth full-season and fifth year overall at Essex. Morgan took over in November 2017, just before the start of the season, helping to try to rebuild a team that, just the season prior, finished 7^th in the national tournament with a 32-2 record. After a rough first year, the Wolverines improved by 11 wins in Morgan's second season, and then made another jump in the 2019-2020 season, going 20-7 and capturing the Region XIX title, while qualifying for the NJCAA DII National tournament, before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely. Morgan is 41-45 in his career at Essex County College.
 
Game Information
The match-up is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off at the Essex County College Physical Education building on Monday, February 14^th. It'll be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's game to go first at 5:00pm ET.
 
The Falcons will have their regular season home finale on Tuesday, February 15^th, when they host the SUNY Rockland Hawks. That game is scheduled for a 7:00pm ET tip-off at the Lackawanna Student Union.