2/18/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – With a Region XIX DII playoff date against Union College looming, Lackawanna College has one more regular season match-up on the slate, when the Falcons take on the SUNY Westchester Vikings on Sunday, February 19^th.
 
The game is scheduled for a 1:00pm ET start inside the Westchester gymnasium in Valhalla, NY, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams scheduled to follow at 3:00pm ET. The game can be seen on the SUNY Westchester Athletics Facebook page, HERE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (10-10) enters Sunday's game after dropping a 48-41 decision on the road at SUNY Sullivan. The Falcons struggled in the second and third periods, scoring just 17 combined points, as the Generals slowly but surely pulled away. Lackawanna was led by Gabrielle Jackson with eleven points, while Cianna Roberts (Brooklyn, NY) and Dominique Geiger (Plainfield, NJ) each added ten.
 
The Falcons are averaging 62.7 points per game, and are giving up 58.6 points per game on the year. The Falcons are hitting around 35.8% from the field, and are holding opponents to 32% on the year. Lackawanna College has struggled from deep, shooting just 21.3% from downtown this year. Lackawanna is hitting 67.4% of its free throws this season, going 203-for-301 on the year. The Falcons are +2 on rebounding margin so far this season, and have forced an average of 16.9 turnovers per game this season, while giving the ball up around 17.4 times per game. The Falcons average 5.6 blocks per game, defensively, and they average around nine steals per game, while their opponents are up to ten swipes per contest.  
 
The Falcons are balanced, with four players averaging around eight 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 11.4 points per game. Jackson is pulling down 5.2 rebounds per contest, third on the team, and has 48 total assists, first on the team, while putting up 23 total steals so far this year. Jackson, back for her third year, is third on the team in field goal percentage (41.3%) and has made 15 three-point shots on the year, tied for second on the team. Jackson has scored in double-figures eleven times this season, going for her season-best 21 points last Tuesday against Montco. Jackson was 9-for-14 from the floor and hit three three-point shots, while pulling down seven rebounds and doling out two assists in the win. In her last four games, Jackson is averaging 17 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.3% from the field and hitting ten three-point shots. Against Raritan last Thursday, she had 14 points, nine rebounds, and a team-high six assists, while posting four steals in the win. Jackson had eleven in the loss to Sullivan.
 
Nya Jackson (Harrisburg, PA), a returner from last year, is second on the team, averaging 9.9 points per game. Jackson averages just under four rebounds per game, and is second on the team in assists, putting up 42 on the year. Jackson is shooting 30% from the field, but is 36-for-46 from the free throw line on the season, a team-best 78.3% average. Jackson has 24 steals, tied for second on the team this season. Jackson has scored in double-figures nine times this season, and had her season-best performance against Essex this semester, where she scored a season-high 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting, knocking down two three-pointers and pulling down four rebounds. Nya has scored in double-figures in her last two games, including 16 points, four rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the win over Raritan. Nya had six points in the game against Sullivan on Thursday.
 
Sidney Spence (Bronx, NY) is third on the squad, averaging 8.9 points per game on the year. Spence leads the team in shooting, hitting 44.2% of her shots this year, and is third on the team in free throw percentage, hitting 72.2% of her shots from the charity stripe this season, where she leads the team in makes (39) and attempts (54). She's fourth on the team in rebounds (5.1 per game) and has 24 steals this year, tied with Nya Jackson for second on the team. Spence has scored in double-figures ten times this year, including five times in the spring semester. Spence set her season-high in the win against Northampton, going for 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting, while pulling down five rebounds against the Spartans. Spence scored nine points and put up five rebounds and four assists in the win over Raritan last Thursday. Spence was held without a bucket at Sullivan on Thursday.
 
Cianna Roberts (Brooklyn, NY) is averaging 8.2 points per game and pulling down just under four rebounds per game. Roberts is hitting around 35.7% of her shots this year, and is tied with Gabrielle Jackson for second-most makes from deep with 15. Roberts leads the Falcons in steals (27) this season, and is also third on the team with 31 total assists this year. Roberts has scored in double-figures seven 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. Roberts had 13 points and a pair of steals in the win over Raritan last week. Roberts scored ten points in the loss to Sullivan on Thursday night.
 
Dominique Geiger (Plainfield, NJ) is averaging 7.6 points per game this year, fifth on the team. Geiger is hitting 34.3% of her shots this year, and has made eleven three-point shots, which is fifth on the team this year. Geiger has 21 steals on the season (Fifth on the team) and also has 27 assists. She's gone for double-digits in points in five games, including against Morris, where she set her season-high with 25 points. Geiger was 11-for-22 from the floor, and hit three three-point shots, while grabbing four rebounds and posting three steals on the evening. She didn't score in just four minutes of action against Raritan last Thursday evening. Geiger came up with ten points against Sullivan on Thursday night.
 
Mahogony Collins (Harrisburg, PA) is up to 6.8 points per game this year, and averages 11.7 rebounds per game, tops on the team. Collins has also denied a team-best 95 shots this year, good for 5.3 blocks per game. That rate has Collins as the #1 shot-blocker among all NJCAA Division II players. Collins is now shooting 42% from the field this year, and has 59 offensive rebounds on the year. Collins got her season and career-high in points against Raritan last Thursday, scoring 20 points and pulling down 20 rebounds, along with four blocks.  She's crossed double-digits in rebounds 12 times this year, already. Collins set her season-high in rebounding with 21 boards against Monroe College Bronx. She also had eight points and nine rebounds in the win. Against Northampton, Collins had 15 rebounds and nine blocks, setting a season-high for rejections this year. Collins has three double-doubles on the year, and has reached double-digit rebounds in seven of nine games this spring semester, including her last six appearances. Mahogony was held to four points against Sullivan on Thursday.
 
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
SUNY Westchester (7-16) enters the game on Sunday on the wrong side of a four-game skid, having lost its last game to Essex County College on Tuesday, 64-36. In that game, Essex held Westchester to just two points in the second quarter, extending the halftime lead out to 25 points. Westchester shot just 24.5% from the floor for the game, and was just 1-for-8 from three-point territory, while committing 34 turnovers. Adriana McFadden led the Vikings with 14 points and ten rebounds. Shanice Wilcox had five points and eleven rebounds, and Irene Maris had eight points and eight rebounds.
 
The Vikings average 55.8 points per game, while giving up 55.3 on the year. Opponents are hitting around 36.6% from the field, while the Vikings shoot 32.7%. Westchester holds its opponents to just 21.7% from downtown, but the Vikings don't shoot much better, hitting at 26.2% from deep. The Vikings have a -5.2 rebounding margin, and average 24.2 turnovers per game on the year, while forcing 18.7. Westchester averages 12.5 steals per game, and their opponents are at 11.8 for the year.
 
Adriana McFadden leads the Vikings at 21.8 points per game this season. She shoots around 36% from the field, and is a 29.9% shooter from deep. McFadden hits on 68% of her free throws this year, leading the Vikings by far in makes (117) and attempts (172) on the year. She's second on the team in rebounding (8.0 per game) and first in total assists (82), steals (118), and blocks (37). McFadden has gone for double-digit points 21 times this year, going over 20 points 13 times, and over 30 points five times. Her season-high 37 points came in a 67-47 loss to Chesapeake. McFadden had 37 of the 47 points from Westchester, going 14-for-37 from the floor, and making five three-point shots, while putting up seven rebounds and eight steals. McFadden has crossed double-digit rebounds eleven times, all for double-doubles, and set her season-high with 15 boards in the win over LaGuardia CC back in January. McFadden has one triple-double this season (19 points, ten rebounds, ten steals vs. CC of Rhode Island) and one quadruple-double (32 points, eleven rebounds, 19 steals, and 16 assists vs. LaGuardia CC) on the year. McFadden had 14 points on just 4-for-19 shooting, making five free throws, pulling down ten boards, and putting up seven steals.
 
Lanaysa Pridgen is second on the team, averaging 6.7 points per game this year. Pridgeon is a 31.6% shooter from the floor, but averages 39.1% from downtown. She averages about 1.7 rebounds per game. Pridgeon, who has only seen playing time in the spring semester, had her season-high in points with 21 against CC of Rhode Island, where she was 7-for-16 from the floor and hit five three-point shots. Pridgeon had two points and three boards in the loss to Essex.
 
Irene Maris averages 5.7 points per game this season, shooting around 25% from the floor and hitting on 56.6% of her free throw attempts. Maris averages 6.1 rebounds per game, third on the team, and is third on the team in steals (34) and has also compiled 28 assists on the year. Maris has scored in double-figures three times this season, with her season-high 12 points coming against LaGuardia CC last month, where she was 5-for-17 from the floor and put up eleven rebounds, while getting seven steals, a season-high. Maris has gone for double-figures in rebounding three times this season, going for two double-doubles and setting her season-high with 14 rebounds against Hostos back in November. Maris had eihgt points and eight boards in the loss to Essex on Tuesday.
 
Shanice Wilcox is averaging 5.3 points per game this season, shooting around 37.9% from the floor, and hitting 52.8% of her free throw attempts this season. Wilcox leads the Vikings with 11.1 rebounds per game, and is second on the team with 37 steals this season. She's also second on the team in total assists (35) and blocks (18). Wilcox has gone for double-figures in scoring six times this season, going for her season-high 15 points against SUNY Rockland back in November. She was 6-for-7 from the floor, and put up 13 rebounds in the win. Wilcox has put up double-digit rebounds in 14 games this year, setting her season-high in the opening game against Hostos back in November with 21 rebounds. Wilcox has five double-doubles, three in her last five games. Her season-high five blocks came against SUNY Suffolk last weekend. She had five points and eleven rebounds in the loss to Essex County College.
 
Brianna Melo averages 4.6 points per game this year, shooting around 39.8% from the floor on the year. Melo averages just under two rebounds per game, and has 19 total assists and ten total blocks this year. Melo has scored in double-figures three times this year, going for her season-high 14 points against LaGuardia CC back in December, making a season-best seven shots from the field. She set her season-best in assists with five against Raritan Valley CC in November, and her season-high four rebounds twice this season. Melo had two points, four rebounds, and three assists in the loss to Essex on Tuesday.
 
Krismelis Melo averages 3.9 points per game this season, shooting 22.5% from the field and 26.1% from three-point range this year. Melo averages just under two rebounds per game, and has 25 total steals and 15 total assists on the year. Three times this year, Melo has gone over double-figures in scoring, putting up a season-best 13 points against LaGuardia CC back in December, where she was 6-for-17 from the floor in the win. She set her season-high with five steals against LaGuardia CC in January, and had her season-best four rebounds against SUNY Suffolk in December. Melo had just three points and two rebounds in the loss to Essex on Tuesday.
 
The head coach for SUNY Westchester is Karim McFarlane, now in his fourth season overall as the head coach. McFarlane was originally an assistant for just over a year with the Vikings when he was named interim head coach in the spring semester of the 2018-2019 season, leading Westchester to a 4-6 record under his guidance and being named the head coach from there. McFarlane, who holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Mercy College, had a Division I baseball opportunity at Howard University, before transferring to Mercy. He is a Bronx, NY native, and has spent time coaching basketball at youth and high school levels all across the New York City metro area. McFarlane also serves as the head coach for the men's and women's cross country team at Westchester. As a head coach, McFarlane is 25-41 in his career with the Vikings.  
  
The Match-Up
The game between the Vikings and the Falcons is scheduled for a 1:00pm ET start inside the Westchester gymnasium in Valhalla, NY, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams scheduled to follow at 3:00pm ET. The game can be seen on the SUNY Westchester Athletics Facebook page, HERE.
 
The next game for the Falcons will be their Region XIX Division II semi-final on Thursday, February 23^rd, at a time and place to be confirmed by Sunday afternoon.