2/3/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College women's basketball is set to play host to the #10 team in all of the NJCAA Division II, when the Harcum Bears come calling on Saturday, February 4^th in a Region XIX DII match-up.  
 
The game is set for a 12:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the first game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams set to tip-off immediately following the conclusion. The game is open to the public, with admission sold at the door for students ($3) and adults ($5). Lackawanna College students can gain free entry with a valid student ID. There will be a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Falcons and Region 19 Sports Networks. You can access the pay-per-view stream via lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. Steve Young will handle the play-by-play, while Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide color commentary.
 
In the first match-up earlier this year, Harcum held off a Lackawanna rally in the second half to pull away for a 73-55 win in Bryn Mawr back in November. Read the recap HERE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (8-8, 4-3) comes into the game after suffering a 20-point setback on the road at Union County College this past Tuesday, dropping a 74-54 decision. The Falcons recovered from an early double-digit deficit, and had managed to close within four early in the third quarter, but Union used an important 11-0 run to lengthen the lead out to 53-38 after three, then answered every Falcon bucket down the stretch to pull away for the win. Gabrielle Jackson finished with a team-high 16 points on 5-for-12 shooting, hitting 5-for-6 from the free throw line, while Nya Jackson and Mahogony Collins each had eight points. Collins had a team-high twelve rebounds and eight blocks.
 
The Falcons are averaging 62.4 points per game, and are giving up 61.6 points per game on the year. The Falcons are hitting around 35% from the field, and are holding opponents to 32% on the year. Lackawanna College has struggled from deep, shooting just 19% from downtown this year. Lackawanna is hitting 66% of its free throws this season, going 177-for-268 on the year. The Falcons hold a +2 rebounding margin so far this season, and have forced an average of 15 turnovers per game this season, while giving the ball up around 18 times per game. The Falcons average 5.6 blocks per game, defensively, and they average around eight steals per game, while their opponents are up to nine swipes per contest.  
 
The Falcons are balanced, with five players averaging 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 10.1 points per game. Jackson is pulling down 4.6 rebounds per contest, and has 38 total assists, first on the team, while putting up 18 total steals so far this year, tied with Nya Jackson for third on the team. Jackson, back for her third year, is second on the team in field goal percentage (39.4%) and has made 27 free throws on the year for a 61% clip. Jackson has scored in double-figures eight times this season, going for a season-best 20 points in the win vs. Morris. Jackson hit a season-high ten shots from the floor, and set a season-high in rebounds (9), while tying season-highs in steals (3) and assists (5). Jackson had 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the loss to Union on Tuesday. Back in November against Harcum, she was held to just two points in 17 minutes of action.    
 
Nya Jackson (Harrisburg, PA), a returner from last year, is second on the team, averaging 9.6 points per game. Jackson averages just under four rebounds per game, and is second on the team in assists, putting up 33 on the year. Jackson is shooting 29% from the field, but is 32-for-40 from the free throw line on the season, a team-best 80% average. Jackson has 18 steals, tied for third on the team this season. Jackson has scored in double-figures seven times this season, and had her season-best performance against Essex last week, where she scored a season-high 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting, knocking down two three-pointers and pulling down four rebounds. Jackson struggled from the field against Union, going 3-for-15 from the floor, but still managing eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Against Harcum in November, Nya had 16 points on 6-for-18 shooting, with five rebounds and three assists in the loss.         
 
Sidney Spence (Bronx, NY) is third on the squad, averaging 9.2 points per game on the year. Spence leads the team in shooting, hitting 45% of her shots this year, and is fourth on the team in free throw percentage, hitting 68% of her shots from the charity stripe this season, where she is tied for first on the team with Nya Jackson in makes (32). She's third on the team in rebounds (5.3 per game) and has 19 steals this year, tied for first on the team. Spence has scored in double-figures nine times this year, including four of her seven games 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 last week. This week against Union, Spence was held to just four points on 2-for-6 shooting. Against Harcum earlier this season, Spence had 12 points and seven boards in the loss.   
 
Dominique Geiger (Plainfield, NJ) has had a good start to her first season as a Falcon, averaging 8.3 points per game this year, fourth on the team. Geiger is hitting 36% of her shots this year, and has made nine three-point shots, which is fourth on the team this year. Geiger has 15 steals on the season and also has 24 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 setting her season-high in steals with three swipes on the evening. Geiger was held to five points in 21 minutes on Tuesday against Union. She had seven points and a season-high seven rebounds, along with four assists, in the loss to Harcum earlier this year.   
 
Cianna Roberts (Brooklyn, NY) is averaging 8.1 points per game and pulling down just under four rebounds per game. Roberts is hitting around 36% of her shots this year, and has been the most accurate of the three-point shooters for the Falcons, going 13-for-50 from deep this year. Cianna's 13 makes from deep are second on the team, trailing only Seanlajah Smith. Roberts is tied for the team lead in steals (19) with Spence this year. She's also third on the team with 25 total assists this year. Roberts has scored in double-figures six 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. Against Union, she had just two points and four rebounds in 22 minutes of work. Against Harcum earlier this year, she had eight points and a pair of boards in 29 minutes of action.   
 
Mahogony Collins (Harrisburg, PA) is up to 5.7 points per game this year, and averages 11.1 rebounds per game, tops on the team. Collins has also denied a team-best 80 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 39% from the field this year, and has 42 offensive rebounds on the year. Collins got her season and career-high in points against Essex in November, where she scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds, along with six blocks.  She's crossed double-digits in rebounds nine 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. Against Union earlier this week, Collins had eight points, 12 boards, and eight blocks. In the first match-up with Harcum, Collins had just two points, but had eleven rebounds and seven rejections.   
 
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
The #10 Harcum Bears (21-1, 6-0) have rattled off 19 straight wins, including an impressive upset of then-#1 CCBC Essex at home back on January 17^th, and, most recently, a 70-68 win at home against Division I Monroe College. Against the Mustangs, Harcum overcame a 50-26 disparity in rebounding, and shooting just 35% from the field, but going 22-for-31 on the free throw line and forcing 25 turnovers. Amaris Baker had 25 points on 8-for-18 shooting, and a team-best seven rebounds, while Mikaela Parris had 18 points and Jasmyn Jefferies added 12 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the free throw line.
 
The Bears are averaging 82 points per game this season, while surrendering just 57 to their opponents. Harcum is shooting around 44% from the field this year, and hitting 33% of their shots from downtown. The Bears are averaging 71% from the charity stripe as a team, and have a +3 rebounding margin on the year. They force around 19 turnovers per game, while averaging 12 steals per contest. Opponents are shooting 37% from the field, and 24% from three-point territory on the year.  
 
Just one player is in double-figures, but she's the top-scorer in the country, Amaris Baker. Baker averages 27.7 points per game on the year, #1 in all of NJCAA Division II. Baker is hitting 55% from the field, tops on the team, and also leads the Bears in free throw percentage, at 83.3% from the charity stripe this season. Baker averages a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game, and also leads the Bears in steals at 2.8 per contest. She's scored in double-figures in every game this season, going over 20 points in 19 games this year, and going over 30 points nine times this year. Baker had a season-best 45 points in an 83-74 win over Monroe College Bronx back on January 12^th, shooting 18-for-23 from the field in the win. Baker hit a season-high seven three-pointers in a 94-74 win over Catonsville back on December 10^th, going 11-for-15 from the floor for 32 points. She has four double-doubles on the year, setting her season-best with 14 rebounds in a win over Chesapeake back on December 13^th, where she scored 27 points and was 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Against Harford last month, she had a season-high eight assists, two shy of a triple-double. Twice this year, she hit her season-high for steals, with seven in back-to-back games in November against CC of Philadelphia and Northampton. In the win over Monroe, she had 25 points on 8-for-18 shooting, going 7-for-11 from the free throw line, with seven rebounds and a pair of assists. Against Lackawanna back in November, she torched the Falcons for 32 points on 13-for-24 shooting, while posting five boards, five assists, and four steals.
 
Ellie Janssen-Holton is second on the team in scoring, going for 8.5 points per game this year. Janssen-Holton is second on the team in three-point percentage (37.3%) and is hitting 39.5% of her shots this season. Janssen-Holton is fourth on the team at 1.9 assists per game, and is also third on the team with 1.5 steals per game this year. She's gone for double-figures in points eight times this season, and scored her season-best 32 points in the win over Catonsville back in December. Against the Cardinals, she had 32 on 11-for-20 shooting, hitting a season-best nine three-pointers in the win. Janssen-Holton did not score in just eight minutes of action against Monroe. Earlier this year against Lackawanna, she had 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting, hitting four three-point shots, while pulling down a season-best seven rebounds.
 
Aniyah Bond is third on the team at 8.4 points on the season. Bond is shooting around 43% on the season, and leads the Bears in three-point shooting at 40.7% this year. Bond is averaging 4.1 rebounds per game, fourth on the squad this year. Bond has hit double-figures in points eleven times this season, going for her season-high 19 points in a win over Essex back in November. She was 7-for-11 from the floor, and hit four three-point shots in the victory over the Wolverines. She set her season-high in rebounds with nine boards in the win over CC of Philadelphia back on November 10^th. Against Monroe, she had four points and two rebounds in nine minutes of action. Against Lackawanna back in November, she was held scoreless, but had four rebounds in the win.
 
Mikaela Parris is fourth on the team, averaging seven points per game this year. Parris, tied for third on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game this year, is a 39% shooter, and averages 77% from the free throw line this year. Parris averages 1.1 steals per game, fourth on the team, and at around an assist per game. Parris has scored in double-figures seven times this year, including her last two games. She set her season-high in the win at Monroe, scoring 18 points on 6-for-15 shooting in the win. She set her season-high in rebounds with nine boards in the win over Essex back in November. She had eleven points and seven rebounds in the win over Lackawanna College back in November.
 
Sara Aumer is averaging 6.1 points per game this season, shooting just shy of 48% from the field on the year. Aumer, a 71% free throw shooter, is second on the team in rebounds (4.9 per game) and leads the Bears at just over one block per game this year. Aumer has scored in double-figures just once this year, scoring eleven points in the win over Catonsville back on December 10^th. She's gone for double-digits in rebounds three times this season, pulling down a season-high eleven boards in the win over Thomas Nelson CC back in November. She had nine points and four rebounds in ten minutes of action against Monroe. In the first match-up with Lackawanna, she had three points and six rebounds against the Falcons.   
 
Jasmyn Jeffries is averaging 5.8 points per game, but is the team-leader in assists, averaging 6.6 per contest. Jeffries also is second on the team in steals, averaging 2.6 swipes per game. She also averages 4.1 rebounds per game, tied with Bond for fourth on the team. Jeffries has scored in double-figures four times this year, going for her season-high 15 points in the win over Catonsville to start the season. She was 4-for-7 from the floor, and made seven free throws in the win. Jefferies has one double-double this year, going for 13 points and ten assists in the upset win over CCBC Essex. She has gone over double-digits in assists five times this year, with her season-high eleven coming against Catonsville in December. Against Monroe in her last game, Jefferies had 12 points, three steals, and two rebounds. She was 8-for-10 from the free throw line. Against Lackawanna, she had just three points, but posted ten assists in the win for the Bears, along with six rebounds and three steals.  
 
The head coach for Harcum College is Riley Maye, who joined the Lady Bears as an assistant coach for the 2018-2019 season, before taking over the program soon after that. Maye came to Harcum after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations for Lehigh's men's basketball program, where he'd handle all the logistical and organizational needs for the basketball team. Before his time at Lehigh, Maye was an assistant at Stroudsburg HS for the boys basketball program. Maye is a graduate of Norfolk State University, where he was a part of the Spartan team that won the MEAC and earned an NCAA tournament bid for the first time in program history, as a 14-seed. The Spartans would upset the Missouri Tigers in the first round that year, before falling in the second round.
  
The Match-Up
The game is set for a 12:00pm ET tip-off inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, and will be the first game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams set to tip-off immediately following the conclusion. The game is open to the public, with admission sold at the door for students ($3) and adults ($5). Lackawanna College students can gain free entry with a valid student ID. There will be a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Falcons and Region 19 Sports Networks. You can access the pay-per-view stream via lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. Steve Young will handle the play-by-play, while Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will provide color commentary.
 
The next game for the Falcons will be another crossover Region 19 contest, when they travel to take on Montgomery County CC on Tuesday, February 7^th. The game is set for a 5:00pm ET tip-off in Blue Bell, PA.