2/19/23

VALHALLA, NY -- Playing its seventh game in 13 days, a tired Lackawanna College men's basketball team kept things close, but couldn't shake a poor shooting afternoon, dropping a 74-62 decision on the road against SUNY Westchester CC on Sunday afternoon in non-region play.
 
The Falcons (17-10) shot just 31% from the floor for the game, going 4-for-19 form the floor, as the Vikings were a crisp 47.7% from the floor and an efficient 8-for-9 from the free throw line. The second half was what really made the difference, as Westchester (13-15) was 51.6% from the floor and hit four three-point shots, outscoring Lackawanna 40-31 to pull away.
 
Lackawanna had a lead midway through the second half, using an 11-5 run over three minutes to hold a 52-48 advantage with 11:27 to play, after Nashawn Johnson (Bronx, NY) banged home the third triple of the burst from the Falcons. The Vikings responded by scoring eight straight points in 90 seconds to grab a 56-52 lead. Turns out the Johnson three was the last Falcon basket for almost five minutes of game time, until Jawane Buckner (Wilkes-Barre, PA) canned a three-pointer at 6:09. Amazingly, Westchester had only scored two points in that same span, so Buckner's three brought it back within a possession.
 
The teams traded points, and Lackawanna got it within two at one point, and a lay-up made it just a three-point game with 3:11 to go, but the Falcons closed the game going 1-for-7 the rest of the way, as Westchester closed on an 11-2 run to pull away for the win.
 
Two Falcons were in double-figures for Lackawanna College, as Malek Mims (Bethlehem, PA) led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Nashawn Johnson had eleven points and five boards. Julian Wilson (Williamsport, PA) came off the bench to score seven points and post seven rebounds.
 
Westchester was led by Omar Nkonde's game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Yenfrey Paulino added 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and Ed Beqiri had ten points and eleven boards.
 
Lackawanna College now turns its focus to the Region XIX DII playoffs, where the Falcons will be the second-seed. Lackawanna will host third-seeded Essex County College on Thursday, February 23^rd, at 7:00pm ET inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. Essex beat Lackawanna in both of their regular season match-ups this season. The other match-up will put fourth-seeded County College of Morris at top-seeded Raritan Valley CC on Thursday evening.