1/13/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College men's basketball will look to expand on its three-game winning streak when the Falcons host the Vikings from SUNY Westchester CC this upcoming Saturday, January 14^th.
 
The game is set for a 1:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the first game of a doubleheader, with the Lackawanna women's team playing Monroe College Bronx at 3:00pm ET. The games are open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for students ($3) and adults ($5). Basketball programs at various youth levels are invited to come out to the game, and will be allowed free entry in their team gear. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available for those who cannot attend via the Lackawanna College Falcons Athletic Network and the Region XIX Sports Network. You can access that at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, or via the Region 19 Sports Network mobile app. Steve Young will handle the play-by-play, and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will have the color commentary.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (10-3) is off to one of its best starts since going 11-2 to open the first half of the 2017-2018 season. That year, the Falcons won 13 games before their third loss, and finished 24-5, falling in the District semi-finals. This year's squad has won six of its last seven games, and the Falcons are coming off a big home win in Region XIX play over County College of Morris, 84-72, this past Wednesday evening. In that game, the Falcons saw a 19-point lead evaporate from the midway point of the first half to a 69-all tie, only to end the game on a 15-3 run to put the Titans away. The Falcons shot 47% from the field and forced 25 turnovers, and were at their best in transition off of steals. Read the full recap from Wednesday night HERE.   
 
The Falcons are averaging 82.5 points per game this season, and allowing 73.7 points per game on the year. The Falcons are shooting 46% from the field, and are hitting just over 31% on the year from downtown. Lackawanna gets to the free throw line a lot, going 192-for-311 so far this season, a 61.7% clip. The Falcons average 41.4 rebounds per game, with a +5 margin, and they have forced an average of 19.3 turnovers per game, with just over nine steals per contest for the Falcon defense. Opponents are shooting 41.6% from the field this season, and have hit 28% of their three-point attempts this year. Falcon opponents have forced an average of 17.4 Lackawanna turnovers per game.   
 
Nasir Brown (Wilmington, DE) leads the Falcons in scoring at 17.6 points per game on the season. He's tied for second on the team in rebounding (4.7) with two other players, and leads the team in 3PT FGs made (26). Brown is tops on the team in FT% (73.6%), and is fourth on the team with 17 steals this season. He's hit double-figures in eleven of 13 games, and had gone for 20 or more points in four straight games already this season. His season-high of 25 points came against Essex back in November. Brown hit a season-high ten shots from the field, and had four steals, tying a season-high. Brown has scored in double-figures in four straight games, and had 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting and four assists in the win over Morris.    
 
Malek Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is second on the team with 13.2 points per game this season. Mims leads the Falcons in steals (24), and averages 3.8 rebounds per game from his point guard spot. Mims has hit on 47% of his shots this season, and is third on the team in assists (31) this year. He's second on the team in made three-point shots (17) this season. Mims has scored in double-figures eleven times this season, going for his season-best 20 points against Dundalk. In that game, he went 7-for-10 from the field, while pulling down six boards and compiling six steals. Against Morris, Mims had 18 points, his ninth straight game in double-figures, on 8-for-10 shooting, hitting a pair of three-point shots, while also grabbing six rebounds, dishing out two assists, and swiping two steals.      
 
Aamir Mack (Atlantic City, NJ) is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.5 points per game. Mack averages 4.7 rebounds per game, tied with Brown and Rahmad Ali for second on the team, and hits around 52% of his shots from the field. Mack also has made 61% of his shots from the free throw line this year, and is a 47% 3PT shooter (8-for-17). He leads the Falcons with five blocks this season. Mack has hit for double-figures in points eight times this season, going for his season-high 22 points in his last game against Cecil College. Mack also set his season-high in rebounds with ten, notching his first double-double of the year. Mack made a season-high nine shots from the field, and was 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Against Morris, Mack had 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting, and three rebounds and three assists. In his last three games, Aamir is averaging 16.7 points per game, while shooting 57.1% and averaging six rebounds per game.    
 
Caleb Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is fourth on the team at 9.8 points per game this year. Mims leads the Falcons in assists (37), and averages four rebounds per game from his guard position. He's also second on the team in steals (22). Mims shoots 41% from the field, and leads the Falcons in free throw attempts (59), shooting 64% overall from the line. Mims has scored in double-figures seven times this year including four games in a row at one point. He went for his season-high 16 points against SUNY Rockland. Mims had five assists in the win, and hit four shots from the field, while going 7-for-12 from the free throw line. Caleb had seven points and four rebounds, as well as a season-best four steals, in the win over Morris on Wednesday.   
 
Nashawn Johnson (Bronx, NY) is averaging eight points per game this year. He's first on the team with 7.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting around 44% from the field so far this season. He has scored in double-figures three times this year, and scored his season-high of 14 points twice, the first time in the win over Rockland, where he pulled down ten rebounds for his first double-double of the year. Johnson was an efficient 5-for-7 from the field. The second time he hit for 14 was in the last game against Morris, where Johnson had 14 on 6-for-8 shooting, as well as seven rebounds and a pair of assists against the Titans. Johnson set a season-high with 16 rebounds in the win over Delaware Tech, also scoring seven points for the Falcons in the win.

Rahmad Ali (Newark, NJ) is averaging 7.5 points per game this season, while also pulling down 4.7 rebounds per game, tied with Brown and Mack for second on the team. Ali is second on the squad with 36 total assists, and is third on the team in steals (20) this season. Ali is shooting 45% from the field this year, and is shooting 38% (13-for-34) from downtown this season. Rahmad has gone for double-figures four times this season, and had his best game against Raritan Valley, where he put up a season-high 15 points in the loss to the Lions. Ali made a season-best six shots from the field, including a season-high three three-pointers, and pulled down six rebounds, while posting two steals for the Falcons. Ali struggled from the field (2-for-10), but was still productive, scoring nine points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out a season-high seven assists in the win over Morris.   
 
Julian Wilson (Williamsport, PA) missed the first few games with injury, but has seen his minutes increase as of late. Wilson is averaging 5.7 points per game in his nine appearances, and has pulled down 4.3 rebounds per game so far this campaign. Wilson is shooting around 63% from in close at the basket, and has scored in double-figures three times this season. Against Mercer, Wilson had 20 points and 12 rebounds, scoring 18 points in the last ten minutes of the second half. Against Hazleton, the big guy had 13 points in 18 minutes of work, pulling down four rebounds and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor. He had a pair of rebounds and an assist in nine minutes of work against Morris on Wednesday evening. Wilson is a former Lackawanna football player, who joined the basketball team this season.
 
In his third season in charge, Landon Gabriel returns to the sidelines to lead the Falcons. Gabriel, who spent ten seasons coaching at Carbondale Area HS in the rough and tumble Lackawanna League, feels like this can be a season of positive momentum for the Falcons, where, now with his first true recruiting class, he can really implement the high-tempo defense and energy he wants to see from his squad. Gabriel is a King's College graduate, where he played for the Monarchs, after graduating from Carbondale Area HS before that.
 
About the Opponents
SUNY Westchester CC (7-9) has had an up-and-down season so far. The Vikings started 2-5, then won four of five to get back to .500, before dropping three of their last four. In its last game, Westchester fell 68-49 to Chesapeake College, who is receiving votes in the NJCAA Division II rankings, on Tuesday evening. 49 points was a low for the Vikings on the year, as they shot 36% for the game, and just 4-for-18 from three-point range against the Skipjacks. Chesapeake never trailed, scoring 25 points on 22 Westchester turnovers, overcoming a poor shooting effort of their own (32.8%). The Vikings had three players in double-figures, all scoring ten points.
 
As a team, Westchester is scoring just over 77 points per game, while giving up an average of 69.6 per game on the year. The Vikings are shooting around 43% this season, and their opponents are hitting around 42%. Opponents have hit just 29% from three-point range, and the Vikings have matched that, hitting 29% as well. Westchester has a +10 rebounding margin this year, and is averaging over 21 turnovers per game. The Vikings' opponents average just over ten steals per contest.    
 
Westchester has a balanced attack, with four players averaging double-figures on the season. Ed Beqiri is averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game this year, shooting 43% from the field, and 37% from downtown this year. Beqiri is a 74% free throw shooter, tops on the squad, where he has made (57) more free throws than anybody else on his team has attempted. Beqiri averages 6.5 rebounds per game this year, good for second on the team. He's also second in total assists (42) and blocks (16), while placing third in total steals this year (21). Beqiri has scored in double-figures 13 times this year, going over 20 points on six different occasions. His season-high of 22 points came in an 88-50 loss to SUNY Sullivan, where he scored 22 on 7-for-13 shooting, while pulling down five rebounds in the loss. His season-high 12 rebounds came in a loss to Raritan, where he scored 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting. It is one of two double-doubles for Beqiri this year, with his other coming against Chesapeake, where he had ten points and ten boards in the loss. Beqiri shot 5-for-14 from the floor against the Skipjacks.
 
Omar Nkonde is second on the team, averaging 12.9 points per game this year, and shooting a team-best 59% from the floor this year. Nkonde leads the Vikings in rebound at 7.6 boards per contest, and is also the premiere shot-blocker on the squad, with 29 rejections in 16 games. Nkonde also has 25 total assists, and 13 steals on the year. Nkonde has scored in double-figures 12 times this season, going for his season-best 30 points against LaGuardia CC. In that game, one of two double doubles this year for Nkonde, he was 14-for-19 from the floor, and had a season-high 17 rebounds, while also dishing out a season-best six assists in the 96-87 win. Nkonde has scored in double-figures in his last five games, and had ten points and eight rebounds in the loss to Chesapeake this past Tuesday.  
 
Kishaun Cole is third on the team, averaging 11.2 points per game this year. Cole is shooting around 43% from the field, and is a 35% three-point shooter, making a team-high 23 triples on the year. Cole leads the team with 53 total assists (3.3 per game), and is second on the team with 23 total steals this season. Cole has scored in double-figures eleven times this season, going for his season-high 24 points in a loss to SUNY Orange earlier this season. Against the Colts, Cole was 10-for-18 from the field, while compiling seven assists and four steals. Cole has one double-double on the year, coming against SUNY Suffolk, where he had 12 points and a season-best ten assists in the win. Cole had ten points and three assists in the loss to Chesapeake on Tuesday. He has scored in double-figures in four straight games, and has hit multiple three-pointers in six straight games.  
 
Yenfry Paulino is averaging ten points per game this season, and is third on the team with 6.1 rebounds per game on the year. Paulino is shooting 46% from the field, and is a 70% free throw shooter on the year. He leads the Vikings in total steals (26), and has 37 assists, third on the team. Paulino has scored in double-figures seven times this season, going for his season-best 26 points against Essex County College, where he was 10-for-14 from the floor and had ten rebounds, as well as four assists, in the double-overtime loss. Paulino has two double-doubles on the year, with his other coming against Erie CC, where he put up a season-high 13 rebounds, to go with ten points, in a 79-73 loss to the Kats. He set a season-high with seven assists in the win over LaGuardia. Against Chesapeake, Paulino had six points on 3-for-10 shooting, along with eight rebounds, three steals, three blocks, and an assist.     
 
Jaiden Brown is averaging 6.1 points per game this season, shooting 34% from the field in 15 appearances. Brown is a 32.7% 3PT shooter, and averages 3.9 rebounds per game. He's also fourth on the team with 20 total steals this season. Brown has scored in double-figures twice this season, going for 23 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including five three-pointers, in a loss to Dutchess CC. He has twice grabbed his season-high of six rebounds, and he set a season-best with five steals in the win over LaGuardia. Against Chesapeake, Brown was held scoreless in 27 minutes of work. He pulled down four rebounds and dished out three assists.   
 
Joshua Alexandre is averaging 5.3 points per game this year, while pulling down 5.1 rebounds per game in 16 appearances. Alexandre is third on the team with 13 total blocks this year, and is a 59.7% shooter on the year. he's scored double-figures four times this year, and posted his season-best 14 points against Essex County College. In that game, Alexandre was 7-for-8 from the floor, and had eight rebounds. Four times this season, Alexandre has achieved he season-best in rebounds (8). Against Chesapeake, Alexandre had just two points in 12 minutes of action.  
 
The head coach for SUNY Westchester CC is Andre Pennicooke, a Westchester alum in his first season as the head coach with the Vikings. Pennicooke, a 2008 graduate from Westchester, is a familiar face to the Westchester County basketball scene, having served as an assistant coach with a pair of NCAA Division III schools (Mt. Saint Vincent and Manhattanville) for the previous five seasons. He has also been the head coach with the Minutemen Athletic Club AAU program, where he started in 2012, and was the associate head coach at Sacred Heart HS in Yonkers for four seasons. Pennicooke graduated from Westchester in 2008, then moved on to Iona College, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration, before getting his masters from Manhattanville in Sports Business and Entertainment Management.
 
Game Information
The game is set for a 1:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the first game of a doubleheader, with the Lackawanna women's team playing Monroe College Bronx at 3:00pm ET. The games are open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for students ($3) and adults ($5). Basketball programs at various youth levels are invited to come out to the game, and will be allowed free entry in their team gear. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available for those who cannot attend via the Lackawanna College Falcons Athletic Network and the Region XIX Sports Network. You can access that at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, or via the Region 19 Sports Network mobile app. Steve Young will handle the play-by-play, and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will have the color commentary.
 
Lackawanna College has one more home game coming in this stretch, and that will occur on Tuesday, January 17^th, when the Falcons host the Chesapeake College Skipjacks, currently receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division II rankings. That game is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams tipping first at 5:00pm ET.