2/23/23

SCRANTON, Pa. -- In a game that quite possibly had everything, Lackawanna College had just a little bit more, edging out Essex County College 92-88 in overtime on Thursday evening in front of a boisterous and raucous home crowd in the Lackawanna College Student Union in Scranton.
 
The Falcons (18-10) were sharp from the start, building a lead that was as high as 17 points in the first half, and grew to as much as 19 in the second, but the Wolverines (13-14), who had beaten Lackawanna twice in the regular season, managed to strike back, using a killer 15-0 run to shrink what was a 17-point lead down to just two with under ten minutes to play. Lackawanna College had several chances to end the game, but bad turnovers and offensive decisions left the door slightly ajar, which Essex kicked open with a final flurry at the basket, scoring the game-tying hoop at 82-82 on a put-back with under a second to play.
 
In the extra frame, Lackawanna College overcame an Essex advantage, their first of the game, to take control, and got big free throws down the stretch from Nasir Brown (Wilmington, DE) to end it, and send the Lackawanna College Falcons into the Region XIX DII championship game.
 
Aamir Mack (Atlantic City, NJ) had another monster game for Lackawanna college, putting up a team-high 31 points and 14 rebounds, going 12-for-23 from the field, and 6-for-9 from the floor, and collecting ten offensive rebounds. Brown added 23 points, 16 coming in the second half, hitting four three-point shots and going 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Rahmad Ali (Newark, NJ) added ten points, and Nashawn Johnson (Bronx, NY) added nine points and nine boards.
 
Essex was led by Koi Kirk, Jr.'s game-high 33 points and 14 rebounds, while Jaheim Lewis poured in 16 points and nine boards, and Pascal Dodard added 15 points and six assists. Andrew Sylvestre had eleven points off the bench, including the put-back that tied things up just before the horn.
 
The win for Lackawanna College means that the Falcons will compete for the Region XIX DII championship game on Saturday afternoon against top-seeded Raritan Valley CC, in Branchburg, NJ. That game does not have a start time as of yet, but is expected to be an afternoon contest.