1/14/23

SCRANTON, Pa. -- For the third straight game, Lackawanna College saw a double-digit first half lead disappear and dwindle to two possessions late in the first half. And, for the third straight game, the Falcons dug deep, and found a way to win, pulling away from the Vikings of Westchester with a 65-50 victory on Saturday afternoon inside the Lackawanna College Student Union.
 
The Falcons (11-3) led by eight at the break, despite shooting just 34% in the first half, but saw that lead halved to just four about six minutes into the second half. Lackawanna responded with an 11-2 run, highlighted by nine straight points from Nashawn Johnson (Bronx, NY), to re-take control of the game, then used another 11-2 run in the last five minutes of game time to pull away for the win.
 
Lackawanna shot 43% in the second half and 38% for the game, while forcing 24 turnovers, nine of them steals, and scoring 24 points off those turnovers. Johnson led the way with a season-high 15 points, while Brandon Scott (Cheltenham, PA) added 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Rahmad Ali (Newark, NJ) added seven points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Malek Mims (Bethlehem, PA) had five points, six rebounds, and a team-high five assists.
 
The Vikings (7-10) were led by Omar Nkonde, who had a game-high 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Ed Beqiri, who had 13 points and six boards.
 
Lackawanna College has won four straight games, and seven of its last eight, and now turns its attention to a big match-up at home on Tuesday, January 17^th, when the Falcons host the Chesapeake College Skipjacks. Chesapeake is just outside of the NJCAA D2 National Rankings, receiving votes in the latest poll. That game is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams playing first at 5:00pm ET.