11/21/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College men's basketball has its usual tough ask for the season, as the Falcons get set to host the perennial D1 power Harcum College on Thursday, November 21^st, inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium.
 
The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:00pm ET and will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams competing first at 5:00pm ET. The games are open to the public, and tickets will be sold at the door for adults ($5) and students ($3). Attendees with Lackawanna College IDs will gain free entry to the gymnasium. There is also a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (6-3) have won five of their last six contests, including this past Tuesday night, when Lackawanna defeated Essex County College by an 87-80 margin in its Region XIX DII opener on the road. Lackawanna shot 49.3% from the floor and hit a season-high eleven three-pointers, overcoming a sloppy 26 turnovers. And a poor night on the free throw line at 47.6%. Lackawanna held a ten-point lead at halftime, saw the lead drop to just four points with about six minutes to go, and then pushed it back out to a double-digit cushion, which was enough to see them through to the victory.
 
The Falcons are averaging 78.7 points per contest, while giving up 73.8. Lackawanna is shooting 40.4% from the field and just 24.5% from downtown. Meanwhile, the Lackawanna opponents are hitting 43.6% and 32.6%, respectively. Lackawanna has a +4.7 rebounding margin, with 46.2 boards per game this year. The Falcons have a 0.8 assist/turnover ratio, with 120 assists vs. 142 turnovers. Lackawanna has forced 177 turnovers so far this season, a 19.7 turnovers per game average, and is averaging 11.9 steals per contest through nine games.  
 
First-year guard Evan Laybourn-Boddie (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging 18.1 points per game this season, first on the team, shooting 37.9% from the floor and 78% from the free throw line. Laybourn-Boddie leads the team with 22 three-point makes, 35 assists and 27 steals through the first nine games. Laybourn-Boddie has scored double-digits eight times this season, putting up a season-high 28 points in the win against SUNY Onondaga on November 10^th, making eleven shots, four of which were three-pointers, while putting up five steals, four assists, and four rebounds. He had a season-high six rebounds three this season, coming against SUNY Ulster on November 12^th, Jamestown on November 17^th, and against Essex County College this past Tuesday. Laybourn-Boddie had a season-high six assists to go with his 26 points, six rebounds, and three steals in the overtime win against Jamestown. He scored 26 points for the second straight game this past Tuesday, scoring 26 with six rebounds and five assists in the win. Laybourn-Boddie has had four straight games with five or more assists.
 
Sophomore guard Shawnn Smith (Philadelphia, PA) is second on the team, averaging 16.6 points per game this season. Smith is shooting 46.5% from the floor and is a perfect 18-for-18 from the free throw line. He averages 5.8 rebounds per game and has 18 assists, second on the team. He has scored 20 points or more in three games this season and has scored double-figures in all eight games he's played. Smith had 23 points and seven rebounds, while playing all 40 minutes, in a loss to Montgomery County CC on November 6^th. He set a season-high with nine rebounds in the loss to PSU Scranton on November 4^th. Smith matched that season-high on Tuesday with nine rebounds against Essex, while also scoring 18 points and dishing out a pair of assists in the win for Lackawanna.  
 
Sophomore guard Nick Marabito (Upper Darby, PA) is averaging 13 points per game through his four appearances this season. Marabito is shooting 40.9% from the floor, and has made seven threes, fourth on the team. Marabito is a 64% free throw shooter and has ten rebounds through four games. Marabito has scored in double-figures three times this year, with his season-high coming against Essex on Tuesday, where he had 20 points on a season-high seven makes and three made three-pointers.
 
First-year stretch forward Noah McIntosh (Philadelphia, PA) is fourth on the team with 9.7 points per contest this year. McIntosh is shooting 42% from the floor and averages 4.2 rebounds per contest this season. He also has eight assists, seven steals, and six blocks. Noah has scored double-figures in four games this season, putting up a season-high 20 points against Jefferson CC on November 9^th, hitting nine shots and pulling down seven rebounds. McIntosh had four points and four rebounds in the win against Essex on Tuesday.
 
First-year forward Tyrick Moy (Williamsport, PA) is averaging 7.7 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game this season, leading the Falcons in rebounding. Moy also has nine assists and is shooting 50% from the floor. Moy has scored double-figures twice so far this season, putting up a season-high 17 points and eight rebounds in the win against Jamestown. Moy scored all eight points in overtime for the Falcons. Moy's season-high in rebounding came against Ulster, where he pulled down 12 boards and scored nine points on November 12^th. Moy had four points and eleven rebounds, along with two steals, in the win at Essex on Tuesday.
 
Sophomore guard Jasier Carter (North Brunswick, NJ) is averaging 5.8 points per game this season, shooting 48.1% from the floor. Carter averages 5.1 rebounds per game and has eleven assists and seven steals this season. Carter scored a season-high 14 points in the win at Ulster, going 7-for-9 from the floor for the victory. Carter got six points and four rebounds against Essex earlier this week.
 
First-year forward Jaden McMeekin (Pittsburgh, PA) is averaging 4.8 points per game through eight contests. McMeekin is shooting 30.8% from the floor, making nine three-pointers so far this season. McMeekin averages 3.5 rebounds per contest, with 12 assists and ten steals this season. McMeekin scored his season-high seven points in the loss to Niagara on Saturday, grabbing four boards. On Sunday against Jamestown, he set season-highs in rebounds (5) and assists (4), while scoring six points in the overtime win. Jaden had five points and three rebounds in the win against Essex.
 
Head coach Kirk Fallon is in his second season as the head coach, and his fifth overall with Lackawanna College men's basketball. Fallon came to the Falcons after a successful two seasons coaching girls basketball at Susquehanna Community HS. Fallon led the Lady Sabers to back-to-back PIAA District 2 championships and a 40-17 record in his two years. Before that, he was also a college basketball assistant at Keystone College for four seasons, where he was involved a lot of the logistics for the program. Kirk has a Bachelor's degree from Marywood, where he played three seasons for the Pacers. He's a northeast PA native, graduating from Susquehanna as a 1,000-point scorer. Fallon is 14-21 in his career at Lackawanna as head coach.
 
About Harcum College
The Bears (6-2) come in ranked #25 in the latest NJCAA Division I polls and have won five straight entering the game with the Falcons. Harcum has beaten CCBC Catonsville, Howard CC, Northwest Florida State College, Elgin CC, and Cecil College in its last five contests. Against the D2 #19 Eagles from Cecil on Tuesday, Harcum blew open a tight game at halftime with a 49-point second half, winning going away at 88-70. The Bears shot 42% from the floor and hit eleven three-pointers in the win. Harcum also outrebounded Cecil 44-to-34.
 
Through eight games, Harcum is averaging 82.5 points per game, shooting 44.9% from the floor and hitting 34% from downtown. The Bears are giving up around 76.8 points per contest this year and their opponents are shooting 41.5% from the floor this season. Harcum has a +3.6 rebounding margin, putting up 39 rebounds per game. They average 15.6 assists per game, and average 14.4 turnovers per game, while forcing just under 14 per game.
 
Sophomore forward Ademar De Oliveira Santos leads the team with 16 points per contest and is shooting 49.4% from the floor this season. Ademar is shooting 33% from three-point range, hitting 13 threes, tied for second on the team. He averages 4.3 rebounds per contest, along with a little over one assist per game. Ademar has scored in double-figures seven times this season, and he had his season-high against Cecil on Tuesday, scoring 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting, with a season-high four made three-pointers and five made free throws. He set a season-high with seven rebounds in the win against Elgin CC on November 16^th.
 
Sophomore guard Dorian Nick Jones is averaging 15.3 points per game, second on the team, while shooting 48% from the floor and 42% from three-point range. He's also an 83.3% free throw shooter, second on the team this season. Jones has made 13 three-pointers, tied with Santos for second on the team. His 5.3 rebounds per contest are third on the team this year, and Jones is second on the team in assists per game (3) and leads his team in steals per game (2). Jones has scored in double-figures seven times this season, scoring a season-high 29 points on ten makes in a 97-96 win against Salt Lake CC in Utah on November 2^nd. He has three games with five assists this season, and he had a season-best six steals in the win against Northwest Florida State College on November 15^th. Jones has one double-double this season, scoring 13 points and a season-high ten rebounds against Elgin CC. He had 23 points and seven rebounds, along with five assists, in the win against Cecil on Tuesday.
 
First-year guard Bahsil Laster is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, third on the squad. He's shooting 44.1% from the floor and 79% from the free throw line. He leads the team in rebounding with six per game, while also putting up 2.6 assists per contest and just under a steal per game. Laster has three games in double-figures this season, scoring a season-high 30 points in the win against Northwest Florida State College on November 15^th. Laster made six shots from the floor and was 17-for-19 from the free throw line. He had ten rebounds, the second time he hit his season-high for boards, also giving him his first double-double of the year. Against Cecil earlier this week, Laster had 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the win.
 
Sophomore guard Zion Lott is averaging 9.9 points per game, shooting 31% from both the field and three-point range. Lott has hit a team-high 17 three-pointers this season. Lott averages 3.9 rebounds per game and leads the team with 3.3 assists per contest. Lott also averages 1.5 steals per game, second on the team. Lott has four games in double-figures this season, scoring a season-high 13 points twice this year. He had 13 in the loss to Hagerstown CC back on November 6^th, and then scored 16 in the win at CCBC Catonsville on November 9^th. He had a double-double against Catonsville, putting up ten rebounds and six assists in the win. Lott just narrowly missed a triple-double against Cecil, scoring nine points, grabbing nine rebounds, and posting a season-high eight assists in the win.
 
The head coach for the Bears is John Ball, now in his eighth season at the school and his third season as the leader of the program. Ball spent the first five years of his time at Harcum as the top assistant under coach Drew Kelly. The Bears won 121 games in those five years, averaging 96 points per game. Ball is 51-15 as a head coach, winning 25 games last season for the Bears. Before coming to Harcum, Ball spent time as the video coordinator at La Salle University for a couple of seasons. He was the head manager under Patrick Chambers at Penn State University, earning a bachelor's degree in 2014 in history from PSU. Ball has also spent time working in basketball camps and showcases throughout the tri-state area.
 
The Match-Ups
The game between the Falcons and the Bears is scheduled to tip-off at 7:00pm ET on Thursday, November 21^st, inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. It will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams competing first at 5:00pm ET. The games are open to the public, and tickets will be sold at the door for adults ($5) and students ($3). Attendees with Lackawanna College IDs will gain free entry to the gymnasium. There is also a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
Lackawanna goes back on the road in its next contest, taking on Delaware Tech CC on Saturday, November 23^rd at 3:00pm ET in Newark, DE. It will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the women's teams playing first a 1:00pm ET inside the gymnasium on the Stanton campus at Delaware Tech.