1/13/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College women's basketball team will look to keep its four game winning streak going when they play host to nationally ranked Monroe College-Bronx on Saturday, January 14^th in Scranton.
 
The game is set for a 3:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the Lackawanna men's team playing SUNY Westchester CC first at 1:00pm 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.
 
Last year, Monroe College Bronx knocked off Lackawanna in a game the Falcons blew in the final 21 seconds. A five-point lead was cut to one after a four-point play, then, after two made Falcon free throws, the Express tied the game on a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining, stole the ball, and scored a lay-up at the buzzer to steal a 63-61 win from Lackawanna College in Scranton.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (6-4) has won four straight, and is coming off an impressive win in Region XIX play, a 93-38 triumph over the County College of Morris. All nine Falcons players that saw time, scored, and Lackawanna College shot 48% from the field for the game, overcoming a slow first quarter to outscore the Titans 47-12 in the middle quarters, en route to the win. Three Falcons were in double-figures, with Dominique Geiger leading the way at a season-high 25 points on 11-for-22 shooting. Gabrielle Jackson added 20 points, to go with nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals, while Sidney Spence added 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Falcons forced 33 turnovers and had 25 steals, good for a 41-10 advantage on points off turnovers.
 
The Falcons are averaging just under 67 points per game, and are giving up slightly under 61 points per game through their first ten contests. The shooting percentage has steadily improved, as the Falcons are hitting around 38% from the field, and are holding opponents to 33% on the year. Lackawanna College has struggled from deep, shooting just 17% from downtown this year. Lackawanna is hitting 65% of its free throws this season, making almost as many shots (123) than their opponents have attempted (133). The Falcons hold a +1 rebounding margin so far this season, and have forced an average of 16.9 turnovers per game this season, while also averaging 4.7 blocks per game on the year. Lackawanna College averages 16.9 turnovers per game itself, and its opponents average just under ten steals per game.
 
The Falcons are balanced, with five players averaging nine points or more per game this season. Last year's second-leading scorer, and 2^nd Team All-Region selection, Gabrielle Jackson (Darby Twp, PA), is first on the team in scoring, averaging eleven points per game. Jackson is pulling down 4.1 rebounds per contest, and has 21 total assists, second on the team, while putting up eleven total steals so far this year in eight games. Jackson, back for her third year, is second on the team in field goal percentage (50%) and has made 14 free throws through her eight games. Jackson has scored in double-figures six times this season, going for a season-best 20 points in the win vs. Morris. Jackson hit a season-high ten shots from the floor, and set a season-high in rebounds (9), while tying season-highs in steals (3) and assists (5). Jackson has scored in double-figures four games in a row, averaging 13 points per game over that span. She had 14 points off the bench in the loss to Monroe Bronx last year.   
 
Dominique Geiger (Plainfield, NJ) has had a good start to her first season as a Falcon, as she's second on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game this year. Geiger is hitting 42% of her shots this year, and has hit ten free throws this season. She also has seven makes from downtown, tied for first on the team. Geiger has nine steals on the season and has eleven assists. She's gone for double-digits in points in four games, including her last game, where she set her season-high with 25 points against Morris. Geiger was 11-for-22 from the floor, and hit three three-point shots, while grabbing four rebounds and setting her season-high in steals with three swipes on the evening.   
 
Nya Jackson (Harrisburg, PA), a returner from last year, is third on the team, averaging 9.9 points per game. Jackson averages 4.1 rebounds per game, and leads Lackawanna in assists, putting up 23 in nine games of work. Jackson is shooting 31% from the field, but is 24-for-30 from the free throw line on the season, a team-best 80% average. Jackson has 12 steals in nine games, tied for the team lead this season. Jackson has scored in double-figures five times this season, scoring her season-best 16 points twice this year, once in the loss to Harcum and then again in the win over Union. In the Harcum game, Nya had six shots from the floor and had five rebounds and three assists. Jackson had 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting with two rebounds and three assists in the win over Union, while also going 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Against Morris, Jackson had six points in 24 minutes, going 3-for-12 from the floor. She had four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the win. Against Monroe Bronx last year, Jackson had 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting.   
 
Sidney Spence (Bronx, NY) is averaging 9.4 points per game on the year. Spence leads the team in shooting, hitting 53% of her shots this year, and is second on the team in free throw percentage, hitting 73% of her shots from the charity stripe this season, where she is second on the team in makes (22). She's third on the team in rebounds (5.3 per game) and has eleven steals this year. Spence has scored in double-figures six times this year, all in bench minutes for the Falcons, and had a season-best 19 points in 23 minutes in the win over Jamestown. Spence was 7-for-16 form the field, and went 5-for-7 from the free throw line, while tying her season-high with nine rebounds in the win over the Jayhawks. Spence had 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with seven rebounds, three assists, and a season-high four steals in the win over Morris.  
 
Cianna Roberts (Brooklyn, NY), who played a majority of bench minutes a year ago, is fifth on the team, averaging nine points per game and pulling down 4.8 rebounds per game, third on the squad among players who have played more than six games this year. Roberts is hitting around 39% of her shots this year, and has been the most accurate of the three-point shooters for the Falcons, going 7-for-28 from deep this year. Roberts is tied for the team-lead in steals with Nya Jackson, with 12 total steals so far this season. She's also third on the team with 16 total assists this year. Roberts has scored in double-figures four times this season, including a season-best 17 points in the win over Union in December. Roberts was 7-for-9 from the field, and had five rebounds and two assists to help the Falcons to victory. Against Monroe CC, Roberts had her first double-double as a Falcon, going for 14 points and ten rebounds in the win. Roberts was 5-for-13 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. Cianna had two points on 1-for-6 shooting in the win over Morris, pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out three assists, while swiping three steals for the Falcons. She had eight points and two assists in the loss to Monroe Bronx last year.
 
Mahogony Collins (Harrisburg, PA) is up to 5.3 points per game this year, and is just shy of ten rebounds per game, tops on the team. Collins has also denied a team-best 44 shots in all ten of her games this year, good for 4.4 blocks per game. That rate has Collins ranked among the best in the country, second in all of the NJCAA Division II players. Collins is now shooting 34% from the field this year, and has 31 offensive rebounds on the year. Collins got her season and career-high in points against Essex, where she scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds, along with six blocks.  She's crossed double-digits in rebounds five times this year, already. She set a season-high with seven blocks in the loss to Harcum earlier this season, then tied that season-high with seven more against Union. She tied it one more time with her latest game, seven blocks against Morris, where she also scored four points and had nine rebounds in the win on Wednesday. Mahogony did not play against Monroe Bronx last year.  
 
The newest face in the women's basketball program is Monica Spence, entering her first year in charge of the program. Spence follows in the footsteps of Joya Whittington, who was third all-time in wins as a coach and led the Falcons to several stops in the national tournament. Spence joined as an assistant last season, and was elevated to head coach with Whittington's departure. Spence has spent time as a coach at the youth level, as well as the semi-professional men's basketball level.
 
About the Opponents
The Monroe Bronx Express (10-5) are currently the #10 ranked team in the latest NJCAA Division III women's basketball polls. The Express have already played two games this month, romping past Queensborough CC 95-17 on Tuesday, before dropping an 84-73 decision on the road against the Falcons' fellow Region 19 member, Harcum College, on Thursday evening. The Bears had built a double-digit lead at halftime, but the Express came charging back in the second half, only to come up just short, as Harcum hit shots down the stretch to pull away. Harcum shot 56% from the field, and got a game-high 45 points from Amaris Baker. The Express had four players in double-figures.
 
Monroe College Bronx averages just under 80 points per game, while giving up around 50.6 on the year. The Express usually shoot around 44% on their shots for the season, while holding their opponents to just 29% overall. The Express are an excellent defensive outfit, holding opponents to just 16% shooting from downtown, and averaging nearly 16 steals per game this season, while forcing around 28 turnovers. Monroe owns a +8 rebounding margin on the year, and averages close to 16 offensive rebounds per game.    
 
Janay Legagneur is one of three players in double-figures this year, averaging 14.2 points per game on the season. Legagneur is shooting around 54% from the field, a team-high, while leading the Express with eight rebounds per game this year. Janay also leads the squad in total steals (31) on the year, and is third on the team in total assists (29) this year. Legagneur has scored in double-figures 13 times this season, her season-high of 24 points coming against SUNY Onondaga CC in the first game of the year. Against the Blazers, she was 11-for-18 from the floor, and had ten rebounds. It was the first of five double-doubles on the year for Legagneur. Against Nassau, she set her season-high for rebounds, pulling down 17 boards in the win. Against Harcum, Legagneur had 15 points, five rebounds, and a season-high six assists.  
 
Aleah James is second on the team in scoring this year, averaging 13.6 points per game on the year. James is averaging 47% from the field, and is the best free throw shooter on the Express squad, hitting 75% of her shots this year. James averages 4.7 rebounds per game this season, second on the squad, and is the team leader in assists, putting up 47 total assists this season. James also has 26 steals, second on the squad, this season. She's scored in double-figures 13 times this season, including her last ten games in a row. Her season-high came against SUNY Onondaga CC, where she scored 20 points on 8-for-21 shooting, while pulling down her season-high 13 rebounds for her only double-double of the year. James had 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the loss to Harcum.
 
Sierra Jones is third on the team, averaging 12.9 points per game so far this season. Jones is a .500 shooter, and the most accurate three-point shooter (34%, 16-for-47) on the Express. She averages a shade over three rebounds per game, and has 25 assists on the season, fourth on the team. Jones has scored in double-figures in ten of her eleven appearances, setting her season-high with 21 points against Nassau, where she went 8-for-17 from the floor in the win. Jones had a season-high seven rebounds in the loss to Union earlier this season, and she set a season-high against WVU Potomac with seven assists against the Catamounts. She had 13 points and four assists in the loss to Harcum.
 
Nyeira Spady is averaging 9.3 points per game so far this season, shooting around 45% from the field, and averaging four rebounds per contest. Spady is fourth on the team in steals (23) and is a 28% three-point shooter this season. Spady has scored in double-figures five times, heading into the Harcum game, this year. Her season-high of 19 points came against Westchester CC earlier this year, where she was 7-for-20 from the field and made three free throws in the win. Spady had a season-high ten rebounds against Suffolk CC, where she also put up 16 points for her lone double-double of the year. She had a season-high six assists in the win over the Borough of Manhattan CC. Last year, Spady played a big role in the game against Lackawanna, going for a game-high 25 points and nine rebounds. In the last 20 seconds, Spady scored seven points to bring the Express even with less than eight seconds to play, setting up a dramatic final sequence for the Express to steal the win.
 
Magan Jackson is averaging 8.4 points per game so far this season, shooting 54% from the field in nine games this year. Jackson averages 3.2 rebounds per game, and has 13 total assists on the year. She's scored in double-figures four times this season, and twice has hit her season-high of 12 points, coming against Union and SUNY Rockland. Against Union, Jackson was 6-for-9 from the floor, while she was a perfect 6-for-6 against Rockland, while also compiling four rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocks. Jackson had eleven points on 5-for-10 shooting against Garrett in her last appearance.
 
Ariella Johnson is averaging 7.4 points per game on the season, and 3.6 rebounds per contest. Johnson is shooting around 32% from the field this season, but really makes her presence felt defensively. She has 24 steals on the season, third on the team. Five times this year, Johnson has scored in double-figures, going for her season-high of 16 points against RCSJ-Gloucester earlier this year. Against the Roadrunners, Johnson was 5-for-16 from the floor, and 6-for-12 from the free throw line, while pulling down seven rebounds and swiping five balls. Johnson has hit seven rebounds twice this year, and set her season high of six steals twice, as well, including heading into the Harcum game, where she had 12 points, five rebounds, and six steals against Queensborough. Johnson had eleven points and two boards in the loss to Harcum.
 
The head coach for Monroe College Bronx is Jeremy Thompson, in his fourth year in charge and third season with the Express. Monroe College went 19-13 in Thompson's first year in 2019-2020, making the Region 15 tournament as a three-seed and earning just the second-ever Region tournament win in program history. Last year was even more successful, as the Express went 22-8, capturing their first ever Region 15 championship and making their first ever NJCAA DIII national tournament appearance, where they lost the first game and won a consolation bracket match-up. Before coming to the Express, Thompson spent time at CCNY, helping the Beavers to a CUNYAC Final Four appearance in his last season. He also was an assistant at both Mitchell College and Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut, each for a season. Thompson started the AAU program Connecticut Sound, helping them to a Connecticut State Championship. Thompson had spent time in the AAU circuit in the Nutmeg State for years beforehand, and got his start in coaching at Staples HS in Westport, CT. Thompson is 51-26 in his time at Monroe College Bronx.     
 
  
The Match-Up
The game between Lackawanna and Monroe Bronx is set for a 3:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the Lackawanna men's team playing SUNY Westchester CC first at 1:00pm 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.
 
The next game for the Falcons is another home game, when Lackawanna plays host to Chesapeake College on Tuesday, January 17^th inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00pm ET, and will be the first game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams scheduled to follow in game two at 7:00pm ET.