2/7/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College women's basketball will look to bounce back from its two-game slide with a Region XIX DII/DIII crossover match-up at Montgomery County CC on Tuesday, February 7^th, the first of two games this week for the Falcons.
 
The game is set for a 5:00pm ET tip-off inside the MCCC Health Sciences Center on campus in Blue Bell, PA. There will be a video livestream available via the Montgomery County CC Athletics YouTube Channel, which can be accessed HERE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (8-9) comes into the contest after a pair of tough games in Region XIX DII play, dropping a road game at Union County CC on Tuesday and, most recently, a home game against #10 Harcum College on Saturday by the score of 55-47. Against the Bears, Lackawanna held a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Harcum held Lackawanna without a field goal from 5:58 to 1:31 of the fourth quarter, a brutal four-minute stretch that saw the Bears turn a 42-40 deficit into a 50-42 advantage. The Falcons got it within four with under a minute to go, but the Bears managed to pull out the win, going 9-for-11 from the free throw line in the final quarter. Read the full recap HERE. The two losses put the Falcons in the fourth spot in the DII standings, a half-game behind Essex, with one more Region XIX game left for the Falcons to play.
 
The Falcons are averaging 61.5 points per game, and are giving up 61.2 points per game on the year. The Falcons are hitting around 35% from the field, and are holding opponents to 32.6% on the year. Lackawanna College has struggled from deep, shooting just 19.6% from downtown this year. Lackawanna is hitting 66.4% of its free throws this season, going 190-for-286 on the year. The Falcons are about even on rebounding margin so far this season, and have forced an average of 16 turnovers per game this season, while giving the ball up around 18 times per game. The Falcons average 5.7 blocks per game, defensively, and they average around eight steals per game, while their opponents are up to eleven swipes per contest.  
 
The Falcons are balanced, with five 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 10.5 points per game. Jackson is pulling down 4.9 rebounds per contest, fourth on the team, and has 40 total assists, first on the team, while putting up 18 total steals so far this year, fourth on the squad. Jackson, back for her third year, is second on the team in field goal percentage (38.8%) and has made 30 free throws on the year for a 62.5% clip. Jackson has scored in double-figures nine 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 17 points and a season-best four made three-point shots on Saturday against Harcum, while pulling down eight rebounds. In her last two games, Jackson is averaging 16.5 points per game, seven rebounds per game, and has five made three-point shots.      
 
Nya Jackson (Harrisburg, PA), a returner from last year, is second on the team, averaging 9.3 points per game. Jackson averages just under four rebounds per game, and is second on the team in assists, putting up 36 on the year. Jackson is shooting 28% from the field, but is 34-for-42 from the free throw line on the season, a team-best 81% average. Jackson has 19 steals, third on the team this season. Jackson has scored in double-figures seven 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. Jackson had four points on 1-for-8 shooting, with three rebounds and three assists in the loss to Harcum. Nya has suffered through a shooting slump as of late, going just 4-for-23 in her last two games.
 
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% of her shots this year, and is fourth on the team in free throw percentage, hitting 69% of her shots from the charity stripe this season, where she is tied for first on the team with Nya Jackson in makes (34). She's third on the team in rebounds (5.1 per game) and has 20 steals this year, second on the team. Spence has scored in double-figures nine times this year, including four 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. Against Harcum over the weekend, Spence had four points on 1-for-7 shooting, grabbing a pair of rebounds in 13 minutes of action.
 
Dominique Geiger (Plainfield, NJ) has had a good start to her first season as a Falcon, averaging 8.1 points per game this year, fourth on the team. Geiger is hitting 35.6% of her shots this year, and has made ten three-point shots, which is tied for third on the team this year with Nya and Gabrielle Jackson. Geiger has 16 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 had five points in 17 minutes against Harcum this weekend, hitting a big three-point shot late in the game against the Bears.    
 
Cianna Roberts (Brooklyn, NY) is averaging 7.9 points per game and pulling down just over four rebounds per game. Roberts is hitting around 35% of her shots this year, and has the second-most makes from deep with 13, trailing only Seanlajah Smith. Roberts leads the Falcons in steals (23) this season, and is also third on the team with 26 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 Harcum this past weekend, she had six points and seven rebounds, as well as a season-high four steals.    
 
Mahogony Collins (Harrisburg, PA) is up to 5.8 points per game this year, and averages 11.3 rebounds per game, tops on the team. Collins has also denied a team-best 88 shots this year, good for 5.5 blocks per game. That rate has Collins as the #1 shot-blocker among all NJCAA Division II players. Collins is now shooting 38% from the field this year, and has 47 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 ten 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 Harcum, Collins had seven points, 13 rebounds, and eight rejections in the loss. Collins has had five or more blocks in eight straight games, and has reached double-digit rebounds in five of seven games this spring semester.
 
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 Mustangs (9-5) enter Tuesday's match-up on the heels of an impressive 73-15 win over Ocean County College this past weekend. It was the fourth time this year that the Mustangs have beaten an opponent by more than 50 points this year. Against the Vikings, Montco shot 40% from the field, pulled down 24 offensive rebounds, and put four players in double-figures. Cha'nyah Dunston Mason led the way with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists, while Taylor Johnson had ten points, ten boards, seven assists, and five steals. Lily Sherman had 19 points, 14 rebounds, and a team-high six steals.
 
The Mustangs are averaging 70.5 points per game this year, giving up only 44 per game on the year. They shoot around 39% from the field, and hit 25% of their three-point shots, while holding their opponents to 36% and 27%, respectively. Montco owns a +11 rebounding margin, and averages nearly 17 steals per game. The Mustangs force an average of 18 turnovers per game, but average 18.2 turnovers of their own this season.
 
Naiya Daisey is one of two Mustangs in double-figures scoring this year, leading the team with 21.4 points per game this year. Daisey is a 45.4% shooter, second on the team, and hits around 31% of her shots from downtown. She's also a 76% free throw shooter, second on the team. She's second on the team in assists per game (3.2), but leads the squad in steals per contest (4.5). She averages 4.8 rebounds per game, tied for fourth on the team. She has scored in double-figures in all eleven of her appearances this year, going over 20 points on eight different occasions. Her season-high 25 points came in a loss to Camden back in December, going 9-for-17 from the floor in a 60-54 loss. She set her season-high with 12 steals in the win over Bucks County CC back on December 1^st, and had a season-best seven assists in a loss to Northampton back in November. Daisey last played against Middlesex on January 19^th, where she had 19 points, six rebounds, and six steals in the 71-50 win. She has missed the last three games for the Mustangs.
 
Cha'nyah Dunston Mason is second on the team, averaging 20.8 points per game this year. Dunston Mason is a 43% shooter, fourth on the team, and leads the Mustangs in free throw shooting at 81% this year. She's second on the team in rebounds per game (6.1) and leads the squad in assists per game (3.6). Dunston Mason is second behind Daisey in steals per game (3.6) this year. She has scored in double-figures 12 times this year, going over 20 points seven times, including her last five games. Dunston Mason set her season-high with 33 points in a loss to Northampton back on January 31^st, going 13-for-25 from the floor and knocking down three three-pointers in the 68-58 loss. The 14 rebounds she had against Ocean County marked her first double-double of the season, and her season-high in rebounds. She had a season-best eight assists in a win over RCSJ Cumberland back on January 26^th. She had 26 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists in the win over Ocean County this past weekend.
 
Lily Sherman averages seven points per game this season, shooting 44% from the field, third on the team, and hitting 33% from downtown. Sherman leads the team in rebounds (7.8 per game), and is third on the team in steals per game (2.3). She has scored in double-figures four times this season, including her last two games. Her season-high came against Ocean County on Saturday, where she had 19 points and 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. She has hit double-figures in rebounds three times this season, going for a season-best 16 boards in a win over Lehigh Carbon back on December 3^rd. Sherman had a season-high six steals in the win over Ocean County.
 
Taylor Johnson averages 5.8 points per game this season, shooting 36% from the field on the year. Johnson averages 4.8 rebounds per game this year, and is at 1.8 assists per game and 1.7 steals per contest. She has topped double-figures in scoring four times this season, scoring a season-best 16 points in a win over RCSJ Cumberland in January. She was 6-for-14 from the field in the 66-35 win. Her best overall game came against Ocean County CC this past weekend, scoring ten points and posting season-highs in rebounds (10), assists (7), and steals (5).
 
Polina Svetailo is averaging 4.8 points per game this year, shooting 30% from the field and 43% from beyond-the-arc this year, tops on the team. Svetailo is third on the team in rebounds per game (5.8), and averages just shy of two steals per game this year. She's scored in double-figures once this year, going for 12 points in a 71-50 win over Middlesex back in January. She had eight points and a season-high eleven rebounds in the win over Cumberland last month, and set her season-high with six assists in the win over Manor College back in December. Against Ocean County, she had four points and seven rebounds in the win.
 
Shay Collins is the head coach at Montgomery County CC, in her second season in charge of the Mustangs. Collins previously served as the head coach at Atlantic Cape CC prior to coming to Montco, and also was an assistant for the men's basketball team at Manor College from 2018 through 2020. Collins is a Kean University grad, and has a Master's in teaching from Relay Graduate School. She played collegiate basketball with Kean, going to the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament and winning an ECAC championship in her time at Kean. Collins is 14-21 in her time at Montgomery County CC.
  
The Match-Up
The game between the Falcons and Mustangs is set for a 5:00pm ET tip-off inside the MCCC Health Sciences Center on campus in Blue Bell, PA. There will be a video livestream available via the Montgomery County CC Athletics YouTube Channel, which can be accessed HERE.
 
The next game for the Falcons will be their final Region XIX DII game, when they host the Raritan Valley CC Lions inside the Lackawanna College Student Union on Thursday, February 9^th. The game is set for a 5:00pm ET tip-off, and will be the first game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams following at 7:00pm ET.