2/3/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Men's Basketball team will play the first of two straight home games on Thursday, February 3^rd, when the Falcons host the CCBC Dundalk Lions in the Lackawanna Student Union. The game is set for a 7:00pm ET tip, and will be the second game in a doubleheader with the women's team. If you can't attend, you can watch the game live on the Lackawanna College Athletics YouTube channel at www.lackawannafalcons.com/YouTube.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (5-11) are coming off a draining match-up with Region XIX rival Raritan Valley. The 20^th-ranked Lions managed to hold on and win 86-83, as the game-tying three-point attempt from Ahmir Ellzy bounced wide at the horn, denying the Falcons an extra period to try to pull off the upset. Lackawanna, trailing by double-digits midway through the second half, used a key 10-0 run to pull back within one, but could not find the shot to put them over the hump the rest of the way. Four Lackawanna players scored in double-figures, led by Ellzy's 23 points off the bench. Read more about the game HERE.
 
Jaylen Davis is the team-leader in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game so far this year, along with 9.5 rebounds per game, also first on the team. "JD" has scored in double-figures in ten games this year, going over 20+ points three times, and scoring a season-high 25 points against PSU-Hazleton on opening night. Davis's 16 rebounds against Morris was a season-high, and he now has five double-doubles this year. Davis is shooting 53.4% from the field on the year, and averages 1.8 assists per game, along with 1.5 blocks per game this year. Davis had 13 points, ten rebounds, and four assists against Raritan Valley in his last game.
 
Will Johnson is the second-leading scorer this year, averaging 12.2 points per game. Johnson has scored in double-figures in his last 11 games, including 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 3.9 assists per game this season, and also leads the Falcons with 15 steals this year. Johnson is second on the team in free throw shooting, hitting 78% from the charity stripe this season. Johnson had 17 points and a season-high eight assists against Raritan Valley. Johnson has dished out 15 assists in his last two games.
 
David Pope is third on the team with 11.3 points per game on the year. Pope, who has started for the Falcons in his last seven games, is hitting around 40% of his shots this year, and leads the Falcons with 23 made three-pointers. Pope also leads the team from the free throw line, shooting 83%, and has scored in double-figures nine times this year, including 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 seven games, all starts, Pope is averaging 14.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and shooting 41% from the field, while knocking down 13 three-pointers. Pope was just 2-for-8 from the field against Raritan, but still managed to score 12 points, thanks to a season-best 8-for-8 performance from the free throw line.
 
Daryl Coleman is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.6 points per game this season. Coleman is also averaging 5.1 rebounds per game, and is the team's second-best three-point threat, hitting 18 threes this year. Coleman has scored in double-figures five times this season, including a season-high 20 points against Mercer County CC. Coleman had six points, three rebounds, and an assist against Raritan Valley.
 
Ahmir Ellzy is fifth on the team, averaging 8.4 points per game this season. Ellzy had a breakout game against Raritan, scoring a season-high 23 points for the Falcons. Ellzy hit a season-best nine shots, including five three-pointers, and also grabbed six rebounds. Ellzy has hit double-figures fuve times this year. Ellzy is third on the team with 2.4 assists per game this season. Ellzy returned to action against Catonsville for the first time in three games, scoring three points and pulling down three rebounds off the bench.
 
Magd Abdelwahab is averaging 7.6 points per game this year. Magd has hit double-figures four times this year, including his season-high 23 points against Niagara County CC earlier this season. Magd is hitting 36% of his shots this year, is third on the team with 15 made three-pointers, and is also second on the team with 2.8 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 has not seen action in his last two games.
 
Gabe Springer is second on the Falcons with 7.5 rebounds per game, and is averaging 6.2 points per game, while also leading the team in blocks (19) 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 six points and three rebounds against Raritan Valley.
 
Brandon Scott is averaging 6.1 points per game in his nine appearances this year. He's an efficient 49% from the field, and is also averaging 3.4 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 scored two points and had a pair of rebounds against Raritan Valley.
 
Nashawn Johnson, who was also an All-Region selection last year, is averaging 4.9 points per game this season. Johnson has seen his role increase with absences from some other players in recent games, and had his season breakout game against Mercer, where he scored a season-high 12 points. Nashawn did not see game time against Raritan Valley.
 
Lackawanna College, averaging around 76 points per game as a team, is shooting at 40.9% as a team this season, and is shooting 26.6% from beyond-the-arc. Lackawanna is also shooting 68% from the free-throw line. Lackawanna College holds a +4 rebounding margin, and has 70 blocks as a team. The Falcons are allowing their opponents to shoot 44.3% from the field so far this year, and teams have hit 32.4% of their three-point attempts against the Lackawanna College defense. Falcon opponents are scoring around 84 points per game this year.
 
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
CCBC Dundalk comes into the contest with an 8-11 overall record, but has lost its last six games. The Lions were last in action against Harcum College, as they dropped a 91-76 decision at home to the Bears last Saturday. After an initial good spell, Dundalk was outscored 26-5 in the final eight minutes of the first half, turning an 18-18 game into a 44-23 halftime deficit. Harcum would add a pair of 8-0 runs in the second half to open up a lead of 33 at 69-36 with about 13 minutes to play. The Lions would slowly chip away at the lead the rest of the way, but it was too little, too late. Naasir Johnson was one of three Dundalk players in double-figures, scoring a game-high 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting, while Balenga Kabassu scored 15 points off the bench. The Lions were an efficient 45% from the field for the contest, but were outrebounded 40-to-27, had 20 turnovers, and allowed the Bears to hit 48% from the field, including ten three-pointers. Harcum also was 19-for-21 from the free throw line.
 
CCBC Dundalk is averaging 69.9 points per game this year, while giving up 73.4 points per game to their opponents. The Lions are shooting 39% from the field this year, while knocking down around 28% from downtown. Dundalk's opponents are hitting around 42% of their attempts this year, and are averaging just shy of 30% from three-point territory. The Lions have a slight edge in rebounding margin this year, and average just shy of 17 turnovers on the year, while forcing around 16 turnovers per game.  
 
The Lions have five different players averaging double-figures for the year, and are led by the aforementioned Naasir Johnson, who is scoring 16.1 points per game this year. Johnson, who has missed some games through the middle portion of the season, is shooting around 58% from the field, including nearly 42% from downtown. Johnson leads the Lions with 1.4 steals per game, and is averaging around four rebounds per game. Johnson has scored in double-figures in all seven of his appearances, and his season-high was the 26 points he had against Harcum. He's had a season-high five rebounds twice, and his three steals against Harcum was also a season-high.
 
Murray Grant is second on the team at 12.8 points per game this year. Grant is shooting around 39% from the field, and leads the Lions with 42 made three-point shots on the season. Grant's 4.8 rebounds per game is tied for third on the team this year, and his 1.3 steals per game is second behind Naasir Johnson. Grant has scored in double-figures 12 different times this season, hitting his season-high 36 points against Prince George's CC. In that game, Grant went 13-for-15 from the field, including a season-high seven three-point shots made. Grant has a pair of double-doubles this year, and has a season-high of 13 rebounds, which came against Allegany College. He's scored in double-figures in four of his last five games, and had 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists against Harcum.
 
Avion Robinson is third on the team with 12.1 points per game this year. Robinson is hitting around 36% from the field, and is one of the team leaders in free throw percentage at 67% this year. Avion leads the Lions in assists per game (3.1), and pulls down around 3.5 rebounds per contest. Robinson has hit double-figures in four appearances this year, and had a season-high 20 points against Harford Community College, where he knocked down eight field goals. Avion has not played in the last seven games for the Lions.
 
Amear Johnson is fourth on the team with 10.4 points per game, and is the only Lion player to have started in every game this season for CCBC Dundalk. Johnson leads the team in rebounds (6.1 per game) and is shooting around 37% from the field this year. Johnson has scored in double-figures eight times this year, and had a season-high 24 points come last month against Frederick CC, where he also grabbed ten rebounds. Johnson's season-high of 14 rebounds came against Prince George's CC, and he's scored three double-doubles on the year. Johnson scored six points against Harcum, but it was the first game all year where he didn't register a rebound.
 
Balenga Kabassu joined the Lions for the spring semester, and has made an immediate impact, scoring 10.1 points per game. Kabassu is an efficient 50% from the field, and averages 4.8 rebounds per game in his eight appearances. He's hit double-figures in five games, and the 15 he scored against Harcum was his season-high. Kabassu has hit a season-high seven rebounds twice this season.
 
Jordan Foster is averaging eight points per game this year, and is shooting around 33% from the field for the Lions. Foster is second on the team in assists per game, dishing out three per contest, while also pulling down 4.6 rebounds per game. Foster has scored in double-figures six times this year, and twice hit his season-high of 21 points, most recently against Howard Community College, where he hit a season-high four three-pointers. Foster had a season-high eight assists against Montgomery CC this year, and pulled down a season-high nine rebounds against Allegany College. Foster had just four points and two rebounds against Harcum College.
 
The head coach for CCBC Dundalk is Jaron Taylor, now in his ninth year at Dundalk, and coaching his eighth full-season. Taylor has led the Lions to a pair of 20+ win seasons, including the 2019-2020 campaign, where the Lions went 21-11 and finished second in Region XX. Taylor attended CCBC in the early 2000s, playing for Catonsville where he scored 12.5 points per game. He graduated from CCBC and went on to play at Wright State University. He graduated from Wright State in 2006, and immediately hopped into coaching, joining the Catonsville staff as an assistant for seven seasons, before taking over at Dundalk in 2013. Taylor is 75-88 in his tenure at CCBC Dundalk.
 
Game Information
The match-up is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off in the Lackawanna Student Union, as the second game of a doubleheader. The game is open to the public, and tickets will be sold at the door for adults ($5) and students ($3). Lackawanna College students get free admission with their college ID. Fans are reminded that current Lackawanna College policy is for all spectators in the gym to be masked. For more on the policy, click HERE.
 
For those who cannot attend the game, there will be a video livestream available on the Lackawanna College Athletics YouTube Channel at www.lackawannafalcons.com/YouTube. Steve Young will have the play-by-play, while Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide color commentary.
 
The Falcons will be back home on Saturday, February 5^th, when they host the County College of Morris in a key Region XIX clash at the Lackawanna Student Union. Game time is set for 1:00pm ET.