2/15/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Men's Basketball team, one day after putting themselves in position for a Region XIX playoff spot, now end the regular season with a pair of nonconference games, starting Tuesday, February 15^th, when they host the SUNY Rockland Hawks inside the Lackawanna Student Union. It's the home season finale for the Falcons, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00pm ET.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (7-15) come into the game after an impressive road win in Region XIX play, 89-69, over Essex County College on Monday night. Daryl Coleman led all scorers with his season-high 32 points, 23 of which came in the second half, as the Falcons built an early double-digit lead and never looked back. Read the game recap HERE.
 
Jaylen Davis is the team-leader in scoring, averaging 16.1 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 15 games this year, going over 20+ points five times, and scoring a season-high 31 points against Monroe College this past weekend, 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 18 points per game in his last four, and shooting 73% from the field. Jaylen had 10 points for the Falcons in the win over Essex County College.
 
Daryl Coleman's outburst in his last game catapulted him to second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game this season. Coleman is also averaging 4.5 rebounds per game, good enough for third on the team, and is tied for the team-leade in three-pointers, hitting 28 threes this year. Coleman has scored in double-figures nine times this season, including his previous season-high 20 points against Mercer County CC. Coleman has hit double-figures in four of his last five games, averaging 15 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 scored 23 of his 32 points in the second half against Essex, including a span where he scored nine straight points for the Falcons.
 
Will Johnson is the third-leading scorer this year, averaging 11.1 points per game. Johnson has scored in double-figures in 13 of his last 17 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 second on the team with 25 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 17 points for the Falcons, including three three-pointers, in the win over Essex.  
 
David Pope is fourth on the team with 9.6 points per game on the year. Pope is hitting around 41% of his shots this year, and is tied for the team-lead 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 did not get on the scoresheet against Essex on Monday night.
 
Ahmir Ellzy is fifth on the team, averaging 9.2 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 seven games. In that span, Ahmir is averaging 12.7 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 22 made three-pointers on the year. Ellzy, an All-Region selection last year, has started his last three games, scoring a combined 35 points. Ellzy had 13 points, six boards, and four assists against Monroe. He had seven points, all in the first half, during a killer run that put the Falcons in front for good against Essex.      
 
Magd Abdelwahab is averaging 6.6 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. Magd did not score in the win over Essex on Monday night.  
 
Brandon Scott is averaging 6.2 points per game in his 16 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 had nine points to help the cause against Essex on Monday.
 
Nashawn Johnson, who was also an All-Region selection last year, is averaging 6.1 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 eight points in the win against Essex.  
 
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 in the win over 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 around 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 SUNY Rockland Hawks (2-19) come into the contest having lost their last four games, including their latest match-up, a close 53-48 loss to Hostos Community College on Saturday. Rockland held an 11-point lead at the break, 28-17, with both teams struggling to score. Things didn't necessarily improve in the second half, but Hostos went 15-for-24 from the free throw line, and got 29 points off their bench to help make the difference, while holding Rockland to just 20 second half points. Jorge Mercado led the Hawks with 26 points, going 7-for-16 from downtown alone, and Xavier Kistoo-Miles added ten points, but the Hawks were held to 24% shooting as a team.
 
This season, Rockland is scoring around 61 points per game, while giving up around 76 points per contest. The Hawks are shooting around 36% this season as a team, and their opponents are hitting around 44%. Opponents have hit 30% from three-point range, but the Hawks have been a little under that, hitting only 28% so far this year. Rockland is even on rebounding margin, but they average around 18 turnovers per game. Opponents average just shy of ten steals per contest, and have blocked nearly 100 shots from the Hawks this year.     
 
Rockland has three players in double-figures, with Jorge Mercado leading the way at 15.8 points per game this year. Mercado is shooting 41% from the field overall, and a team-best 41% from downtown. Mercado also leads the team in rebounds per game at 6.6 so far this year. He's hit double-figures 17 times on the year, scoring over 20 points on six different occasions. Mercado hit his season-high 27 points against ASA Brooklyn, where he was 9-for-17 from the floor and hit seven three-point shots. That was one of the Hawks two wins this year. Mercado has three double-doubles this year, and hit his season-high in rebounds against Ulster, where he grabbed 16 boards. Mercado is averaging 22.3 points per game in his last six contests. He had 26 points in the loss to Hostos on Saturday.
 
Xavier Kistoo-Miles is second on the team at 14.2 points per game this year. Kistoo-Miles leads the Hawks at 77.6% from the free throw line, and is second on the team in both assists per game (2.8) and steals per game (1.8). He's scored in double-figures 16 times this year, going over 20 points on four separate occasions. His season-high was a 27-point performance against Monroe College-Bronx, where he made a season-best 11 shots from the field, including five three-pointers. In the win over ASA Brooklyn, he had his season-best assists total with eight helpers. Kistoo-Miles is averaging 16.5 points per game in his last four contests, and had 10 points in the loss to Hostos Community College.
 
Josendy Nova is third on the team at 13.0 points per game. Nova is hitting around 38% of his shots, and is second on the team from the free throw stripe at 70.1%. Nova is also second on the team in rebounding, grabbing five boards per contest. He leads the team in assists per game (3.9) and also steals per game (1.9) this year. He's hit double-figures in scoring ten times this season, including his season-high 26 points against SUNY Ulster, where he was 8-for-15 from the floor. He managed a double-double in a loss to SUNY Sullivan, where he scored 11 points and dished out a season-best 13 assists against the Generals. He's hit his season-high of nine rebounds on two separate occasions this year. Nova had six points, seven rebounds, and three assists against Hostos Community College in his last game.
 
Michael Earlington is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 4.4 points per game this year. Earlington is the most efficient shooter, hitting 43% of his shots this season, and is third on the team in rebounds at 4.9 per game. He's hit double-figures just once this year, scoring 12 points against Hostos Community College earlier in the season. Earlington had a season-high 11 rebounds against Essex County College earlier this year. He had two points and ten rebounds against Hostos in his last game.  
 
Daniel Jean Baptiste will see significant minutes for the Hawks, averaging 3.4 points per game this year. Jean Baptiste is averaging 4.6 rebounds per game, and has appeared in 18 contests, starting seven games. He's hit double-figures three times this season, including his season-high 12 points against Essex County College, where he made six shots from the field. That was part of a 12-point, 17-rebound performance against the Wolverines, one of two double-doubles on the year for Jean Baptiste. Four times this season he's gone over double-figures in rebounds. He did not score and had four rebounds against Hostos.
 
Jose Garcia, who has played in 18 games and started six, will also see time, averaging 2.1 points per game this year. Garcia had a season-high seven points against Essex County College this year. He had a season-best six assists in the first win of the year for Rockland against Queensborough CC. He had two points and a season-high seven rebounds against Hostos in his last game.
 
The head coach for SUNY Rockland is Brian Sondey, in his first year at the helm for the Hawks. Sondey was hired in August of 2021, after Rockland had missed the previous year due to the pandemic. Sondey spent time as the head men's basketball coach at Concordia College from 2010 through 2018, and had most recently been an assistant coach at both College of New Rochelle and Manhattanville.
 
Game Information
The match-up is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off at the Lackawanna Student Union in Scranton, PA on Tuesday, February 15^th. Tickets will be sold at the door to adults ($5) and students ($3), and Lackawanna College students can gain entry for free by showing their student ID.
 
Current Lackawanna College Athletics Spectator Policy is that all spectators MUST be masked, regardless of vaccination status. For the complete policy, click HERE.
 
For those who cannot attend, the game will be video livestreamed on the Lackawanna College Athletics Youtube channel at www.lackawannafalcons.com/YouTube. Steve Young will provide the play-by-play commentary, and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide the color commentary.
 
The Falcons end their regular season on Thursday, February 17^th, when they travel to take on nationally ranked SUNY Sullivan. That game is set for a 7:00pm ET start.