1/7/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – It's been nearly a month since the Lackawanna College men's basketball squad played a game, but the Falcons are finally back to work weekend, when they host the Cecil College Seahawks on Saturday, January 7^th.
 
The game is set for a 1:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The game is open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for students ($3) and adults ($5). 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 (8-3) 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 their first six games, and were 8-1 before their second loss. This year's squad comes into the 2023 portion of its schedule after winning four of its last five games, the lone loss a two-point thriller on the road against Raritan Valley CC. In their last outing, way back on December 10^th, the Falcons took on SUNY Ulster on the road, going over 90 points for the second time this year in a 93-75 victory over the Senators. Lackawanna College put five players in double-figures and shot 49% from the field as a team in the win. They outrebounded the Senators and forced 17 turnovers, while also shooting 39% from downtown. Nasir Brown led the Falcons with 18 points, hitting a team-high four three-pointers, while Aamir Mack added 15 points and five rebounds off the bench. Julian Wilson added eleven points and a team-best eight rebounds off the bench, while Malek and Caleb Mims had 14 and 13 points, respectively.   
 
The Falcons are averaging 82 points per game this season, allowing 73 points per game on the year. The Falcons are shooting 45.9% from the field, and have struggled from deep, hitting just 30% on the year, but that percentage has increased over the course of the season. Lackawanna gets to the free throw line a lot, going 170-for-277 so far this season, a 61% clip. The Falcons average 41.5 rebounds per game, with a nearly +6 margin, and they have forced an average of 19 turnovers per game, with just over nine steals per contest for the Falcon defense. Opponents are shooting 41% from the field this season, and have hit 30% of their three-point attempts this year. Falcon opponents have forced an average of 17 Lackawanna turnovers per game.   
 
Nasir Brown (Wilmington, DE) leads the Falcons in scoring at 17.8 points per game on the season. He's second on the team in rebounding (5.0) and leads the team in 3PT FGs made (22). Brown is tops on the team in FT% (73.5%), and is fourth on the team with 15 steals this season. He's hit double-figures in nine of the first eleven 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 had a team-high 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting and four made three-pointers in the win over Ulster last month. It was Brown's second straight game with four made three-pointers. He's shooting 44% from three in his last two games.   
 
Malek Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is second on the team with 12.4 points per game this season. Mims leads the Falcons in steals (21), and averages 3.5 rebounds per game from his point guard spot. Mims has hit on 45% of his shots this season, and is second on the team in assists (27) this year. He's tied for second on the team in made three-point shots (12) this season. Mims has scored in double-figures nine 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 Ulster, Mims had 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting and a pair of rebounds. He's now scored in double-figures in seven straight games this year.     
 
Aamir Mack (Atlantic City, NJ) is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.5 points per game. Mack averages 4.4 rebounds per game, and hits around 50% of his shots from the field. Mack also has made just shy of 60% of his shots from the free throw line this year. He leads the Falcons with five blocks this season. Mack has hit for double-figures in points six times this season, going for his season-high of 17 points in the opening contest against CCBC Catonsville. His best rebounding output was his seven boards against Baltimore City CC. In that game, Mack had 12 points and seven rebounds coming off the bench for the Falcons, shooting 5-for-11 from the field. Against Ulster, Mack had 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting, and five rebounds off the bench in the win over the Senators.       
 
Caleb Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is fourth on the team at 9.8 points per game this year. Mims leads the Falcons in assists (32), and averages 3.9 rebounds per game from his guard position. He's also tied for second on the team in steals (16). Mims shoots 42.2% from the field, and leads the Falcons in free throw attempts (53), shooting 64% overall from the line. Mims has scored in double-figures six 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. Mims had 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting, and six rebounds in the win over SUNY Ulster.  
 
Rahmad Ali (Newark, NJ) is averaging 7.9 points per game this season, while also pulling down 4.6 rebounds per game, fourth on the team. Ali is third on the squad with 26 assists, and is tied with Caleb Mims for second on the team in steals (16). Ali is shooting 50% from the field this year, and is shooting 41% (12-for-29) 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. Rahmad had nine points on 4-for-8 shooting, who pulling down five rebounds and dishing out three assists in the win over Ulster. He did not play in the game against Cecil College last season.  
 
Nashawn Johnson is averaging 7.4 points per game this year. He's first on the team with 7.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting around 39% from the field so far this season. He has scored in double-figures twice this year, and scored his season-high with 14 points in the win over Rockland, pulling down ten rebounds for his first double-double of the year. Johnson was an efficient 5-for-7 from the field. Johnson set a season-high with 16 rebounds in the win over Delaware Tech, also scoring seven points for the Falcons in the win. Nashawn had seven points and six rebounds in the win over Ulster. He had six points and a season-high nine rebounds last season in the loss to Cecil on the road.  
 
Julian Wilson (Williamsport, PA) missed the first few games with injury, but has seen his minutes increase as of late. Wilson is averaging 7.3 points per game in his seven appearances, and has pulled down 4.6 rebounds per game so far this campaign. Wilson is shooting around 69% from in close at the basket, and has really come on as of late. He has scored in double-figures in three of his last four games. 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. Wilson had eleven points and eight rebounds in the win over SUNY Ulster. 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
The Cecil College Seahawks (9-6) come into 2023 after dropping the second game of their Cecil Holiday Classic, an 84-71 defeat to nationally-ranked SUNY Sullivan, back on December 17^th. Sullivan built a 15-point lead in the first half, and held on despite a tough charge from the Seahawks in the second-half. Cecil committed 27 turnovers, 15 of which were on steals, and the Seahawks shot 31% from the three-point arc. Dominick Carrington scored 30 points to lead all scorers, but he was the only Cecil player in double-figures. The Seahawks shot 45% for the game, but were outrebounded 43-35, and gave up 19 offensive rebounds.
 
Cecil College is averaging 81.4 points per game, scoring over 100 points twice this season, with a season-high 111 coming against Anne Arundel CC. The Seahawks are giving up 76.9 points per game on the year. Cecil College is shooting around 41% from the field this season, and is just over 29% from deep, while its opponents are hitting at 43% and 29%, respectively. The Seahawks get to the line fairly often, averaging around 22 free throw attempts per game, but hit just over 59% from the charity stripe. Cecil averages 12.5 steals per game this season, and forces around 21 turnovers per contest. The Seahawks are even on rebounding margin.  
 
Cecil has three players averaging double-figures on the year, and the Seahawks are led by the aforementioned Carrington, scoring a team-high 16.1 points per game this year. Dominick is shooting around 38% from the field, and averages a team-high two three-point shots per game, leading the Seahawks with 35 made three-pointers. Carrington also leads the team in free throw shooting (72%), as well as assists (3.5) and steals (2.2) per game. He's scored in double-figures in all 15 games this year for Cecil, hitting his season-high 30 points in the loss to SUNY Sullivan, where he was 12-for-21 from the floor, and made a season-high five three-pointers. His previous season-high was 27 points in an 84-77 loss to Monroe CC back in November. Carrington set a season-high for assists with seven helpers in the 111-86 win over Anne Arundel CC. Against Region 19 opponents this year, Carrington is averaging 12.7 points per game in three games. Against Lackawanna last year, Carrington had eleven points and four rebounds in the 90-53 win.
 
Vernon Simmons is second on the team with 13.3 points per game so far this season. Simmons is shooting around 39% from the field this year, and is a 65% free throw shooter, while pulling down a team-high 7.7 rebounds per contest this year. Simmons averages just over a steal per game, and just under an assist per game this year. Simmons has scored in double-figures ten times this season, scoring a season-high 31 points in the win over Pitt CC back on November 6^th. In that game, Simmons was 10-for-20 from the field, including three three-pointers, and was also 8-for-11 from the free throw line. He had a season-best 12 makes from the floor while scoring 30 points against Howard CC back in December. Simmons has five double-doubles on the year, with 13 rebounds in an 85-75 win over Delaware Tech serving as his season-best. Against Sullivan, Simmons had eight points and six rebounds in the loss.
 
Marlon Lewis is third on the team, averaging 10.5 points per game so far this season. Lewis leads the Seahawks in shooting, hitting 47% of his shots this year, and is second on the team at 71% from the free throw line. Lewis is third on the team in rebounding (5.5 per game), and leads the team in blocks, averaging just over a block per contest. Lewis has scored in double-figures eight times this year, scoring his season-high 19 points in an 82-62 win over Hagerstown CC on December 10^th. In that game, Lewis was a season-best 9-for-13 from the floor, while pulling down seven rebounds. Lewis has two double-doubles on the year, with his best game coming against Catonsville, where he put up 14 points and a season-best eleven rebounds in a 75-71 loss. Against Sullivan, he had six points and just two rebounds in the loss. Against Lackawanna last season, Lewis had nine points and two assists off the bench.
 
Jordan Strickland is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 7.7 points per contest this year. Strickland is shooting around 44% from the field this year, and averages 6.7 rebounds per contest, second on the team. He also averages 1.5 steals per game, fourth on the Seahawks squad. Five times he's scored in double-figures this season, with a season-high 12 points coming in the win over Anne Arundel CC. Strickland has three double-doubles on the year, pulling down a season-best 12 rebounds while scoring eleven points in an 82-81 win over Monroe CC back on December 16^th. Against Sullivan, Strickland had seven points and six rebounds in the loss.   
 
Frank Toney averages just over seven points per game this season, shooting around 44% from the field, and 36% from downtown. Toney is second on the team with 2.9 assists per game, and his 1.6 steals per game are third on the team. Toney had seen his play improve over the last eight games before the winter break, scoring in double-figures in five of those eight games. His season-high came against CC of Beaver County, where he scored 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, which included a season-best three three-point makes. Toney had a season-high six assists in the 69-64 win over Mercer County CC back on November 19^th. Toney had six points, four rebounds, and three assists in the loss to Sullivan.
 
The head coach for Cecil College is Ed Durham, who has spent over a decade as the Director of Athletics with Cecil, and has spent nine years at the helm for the Seahawks. Durham, who had spent time as the Cecil College softball coach, took over in the 2013 season, and has since compiled a 166-100 record, with three Region XX titles and a third-place finish in the NJCAA DII tournament to his credit. That 3^rd place finish came in the 2018-2019 season, when the Seahawks went 24-12, won the Region XX championship, and made the semi-final round of the NJCAA DII Men's Basketball Championship tournament, before falling in OT to Johnson County CC. Cecil would rally to win the consolation game and finish third with a win over Erie Community College. Last year's team entered the national tournament as Region 20 champions and with a 26-2 record. The #6 Seahawks won their first match-up, but dropped their next two to end their season at 27-4 in the national consolation bracket.   
 
Game Information
The game between Lackawanna and Cecil College is set for a 1:00pm ET tip-off on Saturday inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The game is open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for students ($3) and adults ($5). 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 gets back to Region XIX play in their next match-up, when they host County College of Morris on Wednesday, January 11^th. That game is the second of a double-header with the women's teams, and is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium.