2/3/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College men's basketball hopes to build on its win earlier this week and knock off one of the top teams in all of Region 19, when the Division I Harcum College Bears make their first appearance in Scranton since in nearly two years.
 
The game is set for a 2:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams scheduled to play first at 12:00pm ET. Admission is open to the public, and tickets will be sold at the door for both students ($3) and adults ($5). Lackawanna College students can gain free entry with their student ID. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network and the Region 19 Sports Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, or via the Region 19 Sports Network app on smartphones and tablets. Steve Young will provide the play-by-play, while Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide the color commentary.
 
Harcum owns a seven game win-streak over Lackawanna, and has won 14 of the last 15 meetings, dating back to the 2009-2010 season. The Bears won last year's game by a whopping 133-74 score, shooting 60% from the floor and hitting 54% from downtown, knocking home 19 three-point shots. The Bears put ten players in double-figures on the night.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (12-7) comes into the game after knocking off Central Penn College in impressive fashion, cracking the century mark with a 108-64 thumping of the Knights this past Tuesday. It was the most points that a Falcons men's basketball team has scored since February 2019. The Falcons put five players in double-figures, shot 50.6% from the field, and hit nine three-pointers in the win. Aamir Mack led the way with 16 points, while Rahmad Ali added 15 points and Malek Mims and Julian Wilson each put up 12 points. You can read the recap HERE.  
 
The Falcons are averaging 80 points per game this season, and are allowing 74 points per game on the year. The Falcons are shooting 44.5% from the field, and are hitting around 30% on the year from downtown. Lackawanna gets to the free throw line a lot, going 261-for-412 so far this season, a 63% clip. The Falcons average 40.6 rebounds per game, with a +4 margin, and they have forced an average of 18.4 turnovers per game, with 8.7 steals per contest for the Falcon defense. Opponents are shooting 43% 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 16.3 points per game on the season. He is third on the team in rebounding (4.7), and leads the team in 3PT FGs made (34). Brown is tops on the team in FT% (73.9%), and is fourth on the team with 22 steals this season. He's hit double-figures in 14 games this year, 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 has scored in double-figures in five of seven games in the spring semester for the Falcons. He had nine points on 4-for-9 shooting, with four boards and three assists in 17 minutes against Central Penn.
 
Malek Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is second on the team with 12.1 points per game this season. Mims leads the Falcons in steals (34), and averages 4.2 rebounds per game from his point guard spot. Mims has hit on 45.5% of his shots this season, and is tied for first on the team in assists (54) this year. He's also second on the team in made three-point shots (24) this season. Mims has scored in double-figures 14 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 Central Penn, Malek had 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, pulling down a season-best nine rebounds and dishing out four assists in the win.
 
Aamir Mack (Atlantic City, NJ) is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game. Mack averages 4.2 rebounds per game, tied with Malek Mims for fourth on the team, and hits around 51% of his shots from the field. Mack also has made 58% of his shots from the free throw line this year, and is a 33% 3PT shooter. He leads the Falcons with eight blocks this season. Mack has hit for double-figures in points eleven times this season, going for his season-high 22 points in the first game of the spring semester against Cecil College. Mack also set his season-high in rebounds with ten, notching his first double-double of the year. Mack made a season-high nine shots from the field, and was 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Mack scored 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting, pulling down five rebounds and dishing out three assists in the win over Central Penn.   
 
Caleb Mims (Bethlehem, PA) is fourth on the team at 10.6 points per game this year. Mims is tied with Malek for the team lead in assists (54), and averages 3.7 rebounds per game from his guard position. He's also second on the team in steals (29). Mims shoots 45% from the field, and leads the Falcons in free throw attempts (73), shooting 66% overall from the line. Mims has scored in double-figures nine times this year including four games in a row at one point. He went for his season-high in the last game against SUNY Orange, scoring 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting, grabbing five rebounds and making four three-point shots. Mims is shooting 59% and has hit six three-pointers in his last three games, where he has scored 50 points, combined. Mims had seven points on 3-for-4 shooting, with three rebounds and three assists in the win over Central Penn.   
 
Nashawn Johnson (Bronx, NY) is averaging 7.8 points per game this year. He's first on the team with 6.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting around 43% from the field so far this season. An All-Region selection in 2021, Nashawn is a 58% free throw shooter this year, and is third on the team with six blocks on the year. After making just one three-pointer in the fall semester, he's made five threes in eight spring semester games. He has scored in double-figures four times this year, and scored his season-high 15 points against SUNY Westchester. At one point, Nashawn had nine straight points as part of an 11-2 run in the second half that staked the Falcons to a lead they'd never surrender. He scored 15 on 6-for-9 shooting, adding three rebounds. Nashawn had 14 points in the win over Rockland, where he pulled 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. Nashawn had six points and three rebounds, as well as two assists, in 17 minutes of work against Central Penn on Tuesday. Nashawn was the only current Falcon who played last year against Harcum. He scored three points and pulled down two boards in the loss.    

Rahmad Ali (Newark, NJ) is averaging 7.5 points per game this season, while also pulling down 5.1 rebounds per game, second on the team. Ali is third on the squad with 46 total assists, and is third on the team in steals (24) this season. Ali is shooting 43% from the field this year, and is shooting 34% from downtown this season. Rahmad has gone for double-figures six times this season, and has twice scored his season-high 15 points. The first time came against Raritan Valley CC back in December, where he was 6-for-14 from the floor with three three-pointers in a loss to the Lions on the road. The second time he hit for 15 came in the win over Central Penn on Tuesday, where he was 6-for-11 from the floor and hit three three-pointers, while pulling down five rebounds and dishing out a pair of helpers in the win at home. Ali was injured last season and did not play in the Harcum game.   
 
Julian Wilson (Williamsport, PA) missed the first few games with injury, but has become a bench role player for the Falcons. Wilson is averaging five points per game in his 15 appearances, and has pulled down around 3.9 rebounds per game so far this campaign. Wilson is shooting around 61% from in close at the basket, and has scored in double-figures four times this season. Against Mercer, Wilson had 20 points and 12 rebounds, scoring 18 points in the last ten minutes of the second half. Against PSU 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. In his last game, Wilson had 12 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting, with five rebounds and two blocks in the win.   
 
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 Harcum Bears (19-1) come into Saturday's game off of their first loss on the campaign, a 91-61 setback at home against Monroe on January 29^th. The Bears had a brutal night from the field, shooting just 29% overall and a tough 4-for-42 from beyond the arc. Monroe forced 24 turnovers, which turned into 31 points, and shot over 52% from the field. The Mustangs used a 12-0 run over four minutes of game-time to take a 14-2 advantage, and held Harcum to just 1-for-20 shooting in the first half from downtown. Amahrie Simpkins led the Bears with 19 points and a team-best eleven rebounds, going 9-for-20 from the field. Po'Boigh King had eleven points off the bench for Harcum.  
 
Harcum is averaging 92.3 points per game, scoring over 100 points four times this year, with a season-high 135 coming in a win over Olympus Prep back in November. The Bears are giving up 74.8 points per game on the year. Harcum is shooting an impressive 44% this season, while their opponents are hitting around 40% from the field on the year. Harcum is shooting 28% from downtown this year, averaging nearly 30 attempts per game. The Bears are a 70% free throw shooting team, averaging nearly 29 attempts from the charity stripe this year. The Bears average almost 49 rebounds per game, with a +12 rebounding margin this year. Harcum averages more turnovers than its opponents (19.1 vs. 16.7), but averages eleven steals per game, and 6.5 blocks per contest.   
 
The Bears are a well-rounded scoring machine, with six players averaging eight or more points on the season, and four players going over double-figures on the year. Amahrie Simpkins leads the Bears with 17.9 points per game this year. He's shooting 55.7% from the field, and is third on the team in rebounding (5.6 per game). He leads the Bears with 2.1 steals per game, and averages 1.5 assists per contest this year. Simpkins has scored in double-figures 17 times this year, going over 20 points four times this year. Simpkins had his season-high in a home win vs Dundalk back on November 9^th, scoring 25 points in the 98-60 victory. He was 10-for-16 from the floor, while pulling down five rebounds and two assists. Simpkins set his season-best for rebounds with eleven boards in the recent loss to Monroe. Simpkins set his season-high against Catonsville with six steals, while grabbing six rebounds and 19 points in the first game of the year. Simpkins had 19 points and eleven boards, along with three steals and an assist, in the loss to Monroe.  
 
Bernie Blunt is second on the team, averaging 14.9 points per game, while shooting 40% from the field this year. Blunt is a 32% shooter from three-point territory, and is the team-leader from the free throw line, shooting 89% from the charity stripe. Blunt averages 4.2 rebounds per game, and is second on the team at 3.5 assists per contest. He's tied for second on the Bears at 1.9 assists per game. Blunt has scored in double-figures 15 times this season, going over 20 points in four different games. His season-high came against Montgomery College back in December, where he had 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting in the 96-76 victory. He made a season-high five three-point shots and had a season-high seven assists. He also put up five steals in the win. Blunt had one double-double on the year, a 12-point, ten-rebound performance against Allegany College on December 10^th. Against Monroe, Blunt had six points and five rebounds in the loss to Monroe.
 
Po'Boigh King is third on the team, scoring 11.4 points per game this year. King is a 43.6% shooter, and is a 34% shooter from downtown, while hitting 83.3% from the free throw line, second on the team. King averages 3.9 rebounds per game, and also averages just over an assist per game, and just under a steal per game this year. King has scored in double-figures 13 times this season, and had his season-high with 22 points in the season-opener against Catonsville, going 7-for-10 from the field and sinking five free throws. King set his season-high with eight rebounds, twice, so far this season. His season-high five assists came in a win over Dundalk back in November. King had eleven points and two rebounds in the loss to Monroe.
 
Jordan Martin is averaging 11.1 points per game this year, shooting around 32% from the field and is shooting 74% from the free throw line this season. Martin leads the Bears with 4.1 assists per game, and averages 3.4 rebounds per game this year. Martin averages 1.8 steals per game this season, fourth on the team this year. Martin has scored in double-figures eleven times this season, scoring his season-high 20 points in a 94-89 win over Raritan Valley CC, going 5-for-10 from the floor and sinking seven free throws in the win. Martin had his season-best seven rebounds in a six-point win over Cecil College, and had his season-high eight rebounds in a win over Harford CC. Against Allegany College in January, he set his season-high with eight steals in a win. Martin had two points and two rebounds in the loss to Monroe, shooting just 1-for-10 from the floor, and going 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. Martin is the only Harcum player to have played against Lackawanna last year, scoring 14 points and pulling down five rebounds in the 133-74 win.
 
Justin Owens is scoring 9.7 points per game, and averages 37% from the field, while shooting 72% from the free throw line. Owens pulls down around 4.8 rebounds per game, and averages just over one steal per game on the year. Owens has scored in double-figures seven times this season, scoring his season-high 22 points in the first game of the year against Catonsville, going 9-for-17 from the floor, and hitting four three-point shots against the Cardinals. Owens has scored over 20 points on three occasions this year. Owens has one double-double on the year, going for 12 points and ten rebounds in the win over Montgomery College in December. Against Monroe, Owens had eight points on 3-for-12 shooting, just 2-for-11 from downtown, with two assists and one rebound.
 
Tegra Izay is scoring 8.9 points per game this year, shooting 65% from the field on the season. Izay leads the Bears in rebounding, averaging ten rebounds per contest this year, while also blocking a team-high 2.6 shots per game. Izay, a seven-foot center from Montreal, has scored in double-figures eleven times this season, going for his season-best 16 points in a 104-102 win over Cape Fear back on December 17^th. Izay was 5-for-5 from the floor, and was 6-for-8 from the free throw line in the win. Izay has six double-doubles this season, and set his season-high with 18 rebounds in a December 5^th win over Baltimore City CC. Izay also had 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting in that win. He's crossed double-digits in rebounding nine times this season. He set his season-high in blocks with eight rejections in the first game of the year against Catonsville. Against Monroe, he had four points and nine rebounds in the loss.
 
The head coach for Harcum College is John Ball, just the second coach in school history and in his first season at the helm. Ball is in his sixth season with the school, spending the first five seasons as the assistant to Drew Kelly, who left after last year to become an assistant at Division I Northern Illinois. Ball has been with the team since the 2017-2018 year, and Harcum had gone 121-26, averaging 96.5 points per game, in that span. He came to Harcum after spending two years as the video coordinator at LaSalle University. Ball is a Penn State graduate, class of 2014, where he was the team manager under then-head coach Patrick Chambers. He's worked camps in the tri-state area with Hoop Group.    
 
Game Information
The game is set for a 2:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams scheduled to play first at 12:00pm ET. Admission is open to the public, and tickets will be sold at the door for both students ($3) and adults ($5). Lackawanna College students can gain free entry with their student ID. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network and the Region 19 Sports Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, or via the Region 19 Sports Network app on smartphones and tablets. Steve Young will provide the play-by-play, while Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide the color commentary.
 
The Falcons get back to Region 19 Division II play on Tuesday, February 7^th, when they travel to Newark, DE to take on the Delaware Tech CC Terry Hawks. That game is set for a 7:00pm ET tip-off at the Del Tech Stanton campus.