11/19/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College women's basketball will finally open its Region XIX DII schedule with a road game against Essex County College on Tuesday, November 19^th, in Newark, NJ.
 
The game is scheduled to tip-off at 5:00pm ET on the Cleo Hill, Sr. Court inside the Essex County College Physical Wellness Building gymnasium. It will be the first of a doubleheader, with the men's teams tentatively scheduled to start at 7:00pm ET. Both games will have a video livestream available via the Essex Athletics – Wolverine TV YouTube Channel linked HERE.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (3-2) comes into the contest after splitting its weekend contests at the SUNY Niagara Tip-Off Classic. Lackawanna knocked off Jamestown CC by a 71-59 score on Saturday afternoon, before dropping an 87-46 decision to DII #17 SUNY Niagara on Sunday afternoon. The Falcons shot 28% from the floor and hit just one three-pointer against the Thunder Wolves, committing 24 turnovers and only coming up with four steals of their own.  Niagara shot 41% for the game, had 15 steals, and outrebounded Lackawanna by a 55-35 margin for the win.
 
Through five games, the Falcons are averaging 68.2 points per game, while giving up just as much at 68.2 points per game against. Lackawanna is shooting 34.9% from the floor this season, while only hitting 19% of its three-point attempts. The Falcons have also struggled from the line, hitting just 52% of their attempts. Lackawanna's opponents are hitting 35% from the floor and have hit 31% of their three-point shots. Lackawanna has a +0.6 rebounding margin, averaging 46.4 boards per game. The Falcons are averaging 16.8 turnovers per game, while forcing 17.8 this year. Lackawanna averages 11.2 steals per contest, while its opponents average 10.4 swipes per game. Lackawanna is averaging 4.6 blocks per game.
 
Sophomore forward Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) leads the team with 20.4 points per game through her five appearances. Salote is shooting 47.1% from the floor and averaging a team-high 11.4 rebounds per game. She also has 13 steals, first on the team. Salote had 30 points in the season-opening victory against CCBC Catonsville back on November 1^st, shooting 13-for-21 from the floor, while pulling down eight rebounds. She set a season-high for rebounds with 18 in the win against Richard Bland College on November 2^nd, putting up 19 points for her first double-double of the season. Salote has scored in double-figures in four of her five games this year, scoring a combined 46 points this past weekend, including 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting in the loss to Niagara. She also had 13 rebounds in the loss, her second double-double of the year. Salote had 22 points and eight rebounds in the win against Jamestown CC.
 
Sophomore guard Desiree White (Carlisle, PA) is second on the team with 14.7 points per game through her first three, hitting a team-high seven three-point shots and shooting 32.6% from the floor to start the season. White averages four rebounds a game and has five steals through her first three contests. Desi has hit double-figures twice this year, scoring her season-high in the loss to Montgomery, where she had 26 points, including four three-pointers and six free throws, along with three steals. Against Catonsville, she had 13 points and four boards. Desi led the team last season, averaging 16.9 points per game and hitting a team-high 40 three-pointers. She did not play in either game this weekend for the Falcons.
 
First-year guard Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY) is averaging 11.8 points per game this season, shooting 42.4% from the floor. Crocker is averaging six rebounds per game and has eleven assists and 12 steals this year. She's also second on the team with six rejections this year. Crocker scored her season-high this past weekend against Jamestown, exploding for 28 points and a season-best 13 rebounds in the win on Saturday. Crocker went 13-for-23 from the floor. She set a season-high with seven steals against Richard Bland College on November 2^nd, where she also set her season-high with five assists. Crocker struggled against Niagara on Sunday, scoring six points on 3-for-12 shooting, while grabbing a pair of rebounds and dishing out two assists.
 
Sophomore guard Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) is fourth on the team with 9.4 points per game through her first five appearances. South is shooting just 24.7% and is 2-for-23 from three through the early going. She averages 6.8 rebounds per game, third on the team, and has 15 assists, tops on the squad, along with seven steals so far this season. South has scored in double-figures in three games so far this season, scoring her season-high 12 points against Montgomery College (MD) last Tuesday, while also pulling down eleven rebounds for her only double-double of the season. South set a season-high with five assists in the loss to Niagara on Sunday, but was just 2-for-11 with six points and five rebounds.
 
Sophomore forward E'ternity Aiken (Wilkes-Barre, PA) has 19 points through two games, 15 of which came in the win against Richard Bland College. Aiken is 7-for-13 (53.8%) from the floor, and has 14 rebounds through two games. She also has five steals. Aiken had 15 points and eleven boards in the win against Richard Bland College. She also had four steals and a pair of assists. She has missed the last three games for the Falcons.
 
Sophomore forward Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging five points and 7.2 rebounds per game through her five appearances. Franklin is shooting 36.7% from the floor and has eleven assists on the year. Saraiah had her season-bests in points (8) and rebounds (12), along with four assists, in the win against Jamestown CC on Saturday. She had just five points and six rebounds in the loss to Niagara on Sunday.
 
Head coach Monica Spence is in her third season at the helm for the Falcons. Spence spent a year as an assistant before taking over the program in 2022. Before her time at Lackawanna, Spence spent time coaching at youth levels and in semi-professional men's basketball. Spence is a Wilkes-Barre native, who played her high school basketball locally at Wilkes-Barre GAR. Spence is 24-27 in her time as the head coach for the Falcons.
 
About Essex County College
The Wolverines (1-2, 0-1) have one Region XIX DII game under their belt, a 110-59 setback to nationally ranked Union College. Essex played a pair of games last weekend in the Old-Line State, taking down the Howard CC Dragons on Saturday, November 9^th, before dropping a 60-55 loss to Prince George's CC on the following Sunday. Against Howard, the Wolverines blew open a one-point deficit to start the fourth quarter with a 24-point outburst to pull away for the 55-44 win. Essex was 23-for-35 from the free throw line, while Howard was a miserable 11-for-30. The Wolverines had seven steals and forced 14 turnovers, overcoming their own struggles with 16 turnovers. The next day against PGCC, Essex committed 28 turnovers and allowed the Owls to make just a few more plays down the stretch to pull out the win. Essex shot just 25.7% and was 18-for-31 from the free throw line, while only making one three-pointer on the day. Essex has not played in nine days.
 
Essex is shooting 30.4% from the floor this season, averaging 56.3 points per game through three games. The Wolverines are shooting 28% from the field, and 58% from the free throw line. Essex opponents are shooting 32% from the floor this season and averaging 71.3 points per game. The Wolverines have a -6.7 rebounding margin, pulling down 45.7 boards per game. Essex averages 7.3 assists per game and 14.7 turnovers per game, while forcing 15.3 turnovers per contest from their opponents.
 
First-year player Mia Marie Thomas has been excellent for the Wolverines, averaging 18 points per game through her first three games. Thomas is shooting 31% from the floor, and has been prolific in getting to the line, shooting 75.6% from the floor, hitting 34-of-45 attempts through three games. Thomas averages 3.7 rebounds per game, along with 1.3 assists per game and 1.3 steals per game. She has scored in double-figures in all three games for the Wolverines this year, attempting double-digit free throws in all three games. Thomas had a season-high 20 points on November 10^th, going 11-for-13 from the free throw line in the loss. She was 14-for-18 with 18 points in the win against Howard CC the day before that, and had 16 points with nine free throws in the loss to Union. She had six rebounds, two assists, and three steals in the win against Howard CC.
 
Sophomore guard Basirat Amirashaun is second on the team at 13.3 points per game this season, shooting 37.5% from the floor and going 3-for-11 from downtown through three games. Amirashaun is the top rebounder for the Wolverines, pulling down eleven boards per game, while dishing out 1.3 assists per contest and coming up with 1.3 steals per game. She also has three blocks in three games this year. Amirashaun scored in double-figures in all three games this year, scoring a season-high 16 in the opener against Union. She hit three three-point shots in that loss. She had 12 points and 20 rebounds, a season-high, in the loss to Prince George's CC, her first double-double of the year. She had three assists and four steals in the loss.
 
First-year forward Kayley Lynch averages 7.3 points per game, third on the team this season. Lynch is shooting 37% from the floor, but just 2-for-15 from the free throw line. She's second on the team with 9.7 rebounds per contest this year. She had a double-double against Prince George's CC, putting up eleven points and a season-best 15 rebounds in the loss. She had nine rebounds in the loss to Union. She put up six points and five rebounds in the win against Howard.
 
First-year player Natalie Fonseca is averaging 6.7 points per game through three contests, shooting 15% from the floor, but hitting eleven free throws on the season. She averages 3.7 rebounds per game, and leads the team with 2.7 assists per contest. She has three steals this year, and a pair of blocks. She had a season-high eight points in the loss to Union to start the season. She had six points, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal in the loss to Prince George's CC.
 
The head coach is Jahreal Cadogan, in his first season in charge of the Wolverines.
 
The Match-Ups
Tuesday's game scheduled to tip-off at 5:00pm ET on the Cleo Hill, Sr. Court inside the Essex County College Physical Wellness Building gymnasium. It will be the first of a doubleheader between Lackawanna and Essex, with the men's teams tentatively scheduled to start at 7:00pm ET. Both games will have a video livestream available via the Essex Athletics – Wolverine TV YouTube Channel linked HERE.
 
The Falcons get back to Region XIX DII play on Thursday, November 21^st, when they host the D2 #13 Harcum College Bears at the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00pm ET, and the game will be the first of a doubleheader on the evening, with the men's teams competing at 7:00pm ET.