11/18/23

SANBORN, NY -- A stellar first half gave Lackawanna College what looked like a nearly insurmountable cushion, but a disastrous second half gave Jamestown CC the opening it needed, as the Jayhawks came back from a 22-point deficit to knock off the Falcons, 63-62, on Saturday afternoon in the first men's game of the Niagara County CC Tip-Off Classic.
 
The Falcons (2-3) were ruthlessly efficient in the first half, shooting 47% from the field, 6-for-8 from the free throw line, and outrebounding their opponents 31-14 to build a 22-point lead and a 41-20 advantage by halftime. But the turnovers kept mounting, and the shooting went ice cold, which gave the Jayhawks (2-5) the opening they needed to slowly climb back in. At the 7:10 mark, Jamestown got the deficit down to ten for the third time in the half, this time at 55-45. This was in the midst of what became a turnaround from a 13-point deficit to, eventually, a 60-57 lead with just over 90 seconds to play. The Falcons scored a lay-up with 40 seconds to go, their first made basket from the run of play in nearly seven minutes, and then got a steal and a lay-up to recapture the lead at 61-60, but a lay-up from Jamestown with ten seconds left made it 62-61, Jayhawks. The Falcons closed the game with four attempts at the free throw line, but could only convert one, missing what would have been the game-tying free throw with one second left to seal their fate.
 
Lackawanna shot 26% in the second half, and was a dreadful 9-for-24 from the free throw line, committing 16 turnovers to Jamestown. Jamestown won the points-off-turnovers battle 28-19, and shot 50% in the second half. Lackawanna was 38% for the game, and 47% from the free throw line, making 15-of-32. Two Falcons were in double-figures, as Aamir Mack (Sophomore; Atlantic City, NJ) had 24 points and 17 rebounds, while Pablo Avalos Ortiz (Sophomore; Málaga, Spain) added eleven points. Jamestown had three players in double-figures, getting 17 points apiece from Aubrey Nicholson and Jhamien Smith, while Iverson Plaza added eleven.
 
Lackawanna College will look to bounce back tomorrow, Sunday, November 19^th, when the Falcons take on the host squad, Niagara County CC. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00pm ET at Niagara County CC.