2/8/22
 
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Lackawanna College Women's Basketball team shot just 16% in the third quarter, letting a six-point halftime lead slip away, which allowed the Mustangs of Monroe to pull ahead and hold on for the win, 76-72, on Tuesday night in New York.
 
The Falcons (7-9) had a lot of momentum at halftime, having scored 25 points in the second quarter to turn a five-point deficit into a six-point lead, shooting 56% from the field and knocking down four three-pointers in the quarter. But a disastrous 3-for-18 shooting display in the third quarter gave Monroe College (13-12) the chance to bounce back, hitting 56% from the field in the third, and outscoring the Falcons 22-12 to reclaim the lead. Lackawanna would close the gap and briefly hold the lead at 60-59 with under five minutes to play, but the Mustangs went 10-for-12 from the free throw line in the final minutes, overcoming their own shooting woes to stay in front of the Falcons and pull out the win for their fourth in a row.
 
Lackawanna put four players in double-figures, with Nya Morris leading the pack at 21 points on 9-for-20 shooting. McKeyah Duley came off the bench to score 15 points, 12 coming in the first half, tying her season-high with five made threes on the night. Gabrielle Jackson had 14 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists for the Falcons, while Daeja Cromartie finished with ten points and 14 rebounds. Lackawanna shot 33.8% from the field, but were just 8-for-35 from downtown, 3-for-19 in the second half.
 
It took almost two minutes for the first points to be scored, and both teams struggled early to find their offensive flow, but a Duley three-pointer at 5:31 in the first quarter gave the Falcons their first lead at 5-4. A Gabrielle Jackson jumper made it 7-4 Falcons with 4:49 to go in the first, but the Mustangs would close the quarter on a 12-4 run to take control at 16-11 after one quarter.
 
The Falcons wasted little time in the second, as a Gabby Jackson three cut it to just a two-point lead barely 20 seconds in, and another Jackson bucket would tie things up at 16. Later, a Jackson lay-up was converted through contact, and Gabby hit the ensuing free throw to make it 21-19 Falcons with 6:46 to play in the half. Both teams started heating up and trading buckets, and a Daeja Cromartie jumper made it 25-24 Falcons with 5:06 to play. That started a 10-2 run for Lackawanna College, highlighted by a pair of Duley three-pointers, the second of which made it 33-26 with 2:12 to go in the half. A pair of Mustang jumpers brought it back within a possession, but another Duley three with 30 seconds to go would make it 36-30 Falcons at the halftime whistle.
 
After an Ashanté Amos free throw gave the Falcons their largest lead at 37-30 with 9:47 to play, the Mustangs started to make their move. A pair of buckets, including a three-pointer from Aysia Pink, cut it to just two points at 37-35. Amos broke the scoring drought for Lackawanna at 7:03 with a lay-up, but another Pink three, followed by a Sara Carvajal-Caro jumper, made it 40-39, Mustangs, approaching the midway point of the third. Amos would strike again, this time from deep, to end another 2+ minute scoring drought to recapture the lead for Lackawanna, but Monroe would eventually jump back out in front at 46-42. The Falcons, despite only getting one bucket for the rest of the third, did manage to get to the free throw line, which helped them stay within striking distance at 52-48 at the end of the quarter.
 
A Cromartie jumper opened the scoring to start the fourth, but Monroe got another Pink three-ball to make it 55-50 with eight minutes remaining. A three-point play from Naomi Barnwell just 20 seconds later made it 58-50. A few minutes later, with the Falcons down 59-52, Nya Morris scored a jumper with 6:10 remaining, and the Falcons called timeout. A Monroe turnover came on the ensuing possession, and Morris would score again to make it 59-56 with 5:42 to play. Another Mustang turnover, this time off a steal from Morris, was turned into points on the other end by Nya, making it 59-58. After a miss from deep by the Mustangs, the Falcons got to the free throw line with under five minutes to go, where Gabby Jackson completed the 8-0 run to give the Falcons a brief 60-59 lead.
 
Monroe would respond with a back-breaking 9-0 run to put the game firmly in their control, holding the Falcons scoreless for over two minutes, while scoring six of their nine points from the free throw line. Cromartie would break the scoreless drought with a pair of free throws at 2:38 to make it 68-62, Mustangs, and the Falcons would start to find their shooting touch, but every Falcon bucket down the stretch seemed to be answered by points from Monroe. The Mustangs were able to salt the game away, handing the Falcons their second straight loss.
 
Lackawanna College will next come home to play Delaware Tech CC in a Region XIX match-up on Thursday, February 10^th, at 7:00pm ET in the Lackawanna Student Union. They'll be the second game of a doubleheader, with the men's game starting at 5:00pm. The Falcons won the first match-up against the Terry Hawks, 98-70, earlier this year.