12/10/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The road warrior Falcons will continue their consecutive games on the road with a big away game on Tuesday, December 10^th, as Lackawanna travels to take on Mercer County CC in Region XIX DII women's basketball action.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00pm ET inside the gymnasium in the Physical Education building on campus at Mercer County CC in West Windsor Twp., NJ. The game is the first of two for the evening, with the men's teams following at 7:00pm ET. Both games will have a video livestream available via the Mercer County CC livestream on Vimeo, linked HERE.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (7-4, 4-2) come into Tuesday night in fourth place in the Region XIX DII standings. Their record is technically tied with Mercer County and Harcum College, but the Vikings and Bears have slightly better overall records, which is the tiebreaker. Lackawanna broke a two-game skid with a 51-46 win on the road at Middlesex College this past weekend. It was a game where Lackawanna fell behind early, led through most of the see-saw battle, then pulled away with big plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
Through eleven games, the Falcons are averaging 70.4 points per game, while giving up 69.3 points per game against. Lackawanna is shooting 35.2% from the floor this season, while shooting 24.4% from three-point range. The Falcons have also struggled from the line, hitting 56.7% of their attempts. Lackawanna's opponents are hitting 36.5% from the floor and have hit 29.6% of their three-point shots. Lackawanna has almost a +1.0 rebounding margin, averaging 45.3 boards per game. The Falcons are averaging 19.8 turnovers per game, while forcing 19.8 per game this year. Lackawanna averages 11.8 steals per contest, while its opponents average 10.3 swipes per game. Lackawanna is averaging 4.2 blocks per game.
 
Sophomore forward Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) leads the team with 16.3 points per game this season, eleventh in the region and fifth in DII. Salote is shooting 46.2% from the floor and averages a team-high 9.9 rebounds per game, fifth in DII. She also has 26 steals, second 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 nine of ten games this year and has six double-doubles on the year. She set a season-high with eight assists in the win against Essex on Tuesday, November 19^th. Franklin had 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and a season-high five steals in the win against Delaware Tech on November 23^rd. Salote also leads the Falcons with 14 blocks this year. She did not score in just three minutes of action this past weekend at Middlesex.
 
Sophomore guard Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) is second on the team with 14.1 points per game this season, seventh in Region XIX DII. South is shooting 34.7% and has made a team-best 13 three-point shots through the early going. She averages 6.3 rebounds per game, fourth on the team, and has 30 assists, second on the squad, along with 23 steals so far this season. South has scored double-figures in nine games so far this season, scoring her season and career-high with 42 points against Essex on November 19^th, making 15 shots and hitting six three-pointers in the win. She also had eight rebounds and season-highs in assists (7) and steals (5). Jayla had 13 points, seven rebounds, and four steals in the win at Middlesex on Saturday.
 
First-year guard Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY) is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, 14^th in DII, and is shooting 37.3% from the floor. Crocker averages 6.1 rebounds per game and has 32 assists, first on the team. She also has 28 steals, first on the team this season. She's fourth on the team with eight rejections this year. Crocker scored her season-high against Jamestown on November 16^th, exploding for 28 points and a season-best 13 rebounds in the win on November 16^th. Crocker went 13-for-23 from the floor in the win. 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 matched that season-high with five assists against Essex on November 19^th, scoring 26 points, grabbing five rebounds, and posting four steals in the win. Ania scored nine points and had nine rebounds, along with three steals and three assists, in the win against Middlesex on Saturday.
 
Sophomore guard Desiree White (Carlisle, PA) is fourth on the team with 10.2 points per game through her first six games, hitting eight three-point shots and shooting 27.9% from the floor to start the season. White averages 3.3 rebounds a game and has six steals through her first six contests. Desi has hit double-figures twice this year, scoring her season-high in the loss to Montgomery on November 12^th, 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 missed five games with injury, but returned two weeks ago against Union. She scored four points and had one rebound in the victory at Middlesex.
 
Sophomore forward Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 7.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game through her eleven appearances. Franklin is shooting 39.5% from the floor and has 26 assists on the year. Saraiah had one of her best games of the year against Essex, scoring 14 points and setting a season-high in assists (5), along with matching her season-highs in rebounds (12) and steals (3). Against Harcum on November 21^st, she had a season-best 23 points, scoring 13 in the fourth alone, while going 8-for-9 from the free throw line and pulling down eleven rebounds. She had 12 points and eight rebounds in the win against Del Tech on November 23^rd. Saraiah has two double-doubles on the season. She scored just three points on 1-for-10 shooting against Middlesex, but pulled down eleven rebounds in the win.
 
Sophomore forward E'ternity Aiken (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging seven points per game through her five contests this year, scoring a season and career-high of 15 points in the win against Richard Bland College. Aiken is shooting 41.9% from the floor and averages seven rebounds per game through her first five appearances. She also has nine 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. Aiken played for the first time in six games two weeks ago against Union, coming back from injury. She tied her season-high with eleven rebounds against Middlesex, along with eight points, two blocks, and two assists.
 
Head coach Monica Spence is in her third season at the helm of 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 28-29 in her time as the head coach for the Falcons.
 
About Mercer County CC
The Vikings (7-2, 4-2) have won three straight coming into Tuesday's action. Mercer was ranked earlier this season, just inside the top 25 in the NJCAA Division II WBB rankings and has been floating around the "Receiving Votes" squads. Mercer's latest win came against Essex County College at home this past weekend, taking a 66-48 victory. The score was closer than the actual game, as Mercer built a 37-22 lead at halftime and a 58-32 lead after three quarters. The Vikings had 13 steals, grabbed 15 offensive boards, and shot 28% from the floor in the victory, putting three players in double-figures.
 
Mercer is averaging 78.4 points per game this season, while giving up 58.6 points per contest. The Vikings are shooting 39% from the floor this season, while also hitting 27.6% from downtown. They also make 64.8% from the free throw line. Mercer's opponents are hitting 34.5% from the floor, and just 21.8% from downtown. Mercer has a + 8.0 rebounding margin, pulling down 45.3 boards per game. While the Vikings cough the ball up 19 times per game, their opponents are turning it over at a 25.9 per game rate. Mercer averages 14.3 steals per game, along with just over two blocks per contest.
 
The Vikings have three players in double-figures scoring this season, with Gabriella Ross leading the pack at 20.3 points per game, third in all of Region XIX and tops in Region XIX DII. Ross shoots at 35.1% from the floor, and hits 26.5% of her three-point attempts. Ross also leads the Vikings in free throw makes (27) and is shooting 64.3% from the stripe. Ross averages 6.4 rebounds per game, third on the team, while putting up 1.7 assists per game and 3.2 steals per game. She's second on the team in steals. Ross has hit for double-figures in scoring in all nine games this year for Mercer, twice scoring over 30 points on the year. Her season-best is 33 points against RCSJ Gloucester back on November 9^th, scoring 33 on a season-high seven made three-point shots in the 92-67 win. She had six rebounds and a season-best five steals in the victory. In her other 30-point game, she had 31 points and a season-high 13 rebounds in the win against Del Tech on December 3^rd. Ross has two double-doubles on the year, with her second coming against Essex, where she put up 19 points and ten boards in the win this past weekend.
 
Jada Queen is second on the team at 16.2 points per game this season, fifth in Region XIX DII, while shooting 53.9% from the floor, sixth in the region and third in DII. Queen is dominant on the boards, averaging 11.9 rebounds per game, seventh in the region and second in DII. She leads the Vikings at 3.8 steals per game and is just shy of two assists per contest. She also leads the team in blocks, averaging 1.6 rejections per game. She has seven games in double-figures this season, scoring 20 or more points in three contests. Her best came in a 95-49 win against Cecil College on November 14^th, scoring 31 points on an efficient 14-for-18 shooting. She also pulled down 15 rebounds in the win, one of six double-doubles for her on the season. Queen's season high in rebounding came in a 75-49 win against Raritan Valley on November 21^st, securing 22 boards and scoring 14 points in the victory. She set her season-best with seven steals in the loss to Union, also putting up 25 points and 13 boards to just miss a potential triple-double. Against Essex, she had seven points and seven rebounds.
 
Alexandra Garcia Galen is third on the team at 12 points per game this year, shooting 40.7% from the floor and hitting 32% from downtown. Garcia Galen is averaging 2.9 rebounds per game, and is second on the team in assists, averaging just shy of six dimes per contest. Garcia Galen also averages 2.4 steals per contest. She has six games in double-figures scoring this season, scoring her season-best 25 points in the season opener against Harford CC on November 4^th. She hit 12 shots and put up her season-high six steals in the win. She does have one double-double this year, scoring 12 points and putting up a season-best ten assists in a win against Middlesex on November 26^th. Against Raritan on November 21^st, she had 16 points, a season-high six rebounds, and eight assists in the victory. She had four points and six assists in the win against Essex this past weekend.
 
Zaakirah Edwards is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 points per game this season. Edwards is a 29.6% shooter from the field this year and is just shy of 66% from the free throw line. She averages 5.3 rebounds per game and leads the team with 6.9 assists per contest. She also averages about one steal per game. She has three games in double-figures scoring this season, putting up a season-best 18 points in the win against Gloucester on November 9^th. She has twice gone for double-digit assists, setting a season-high with 12 dimes in the win against Delaware Tech on December 3^rd. She also had her season-best nine rebounds and eight points in the win. She has put up five or more assists in eight of her nine games this season. Edwards scored seven points, pulled in six boards, and had six assists in the win against Essex.
 
The head coach is Bob Fusik, in his first season at the helm for the Vikings. Fusik was tasked with bringing the program back to full-time status, after being on hiatus for the past few seasons. The Vikings have a long history of success, and Fusik will look to add to that with his own impressive coaching resume. He was 93-9 at Trenton Catholic Academy, prior to his time at Mercer, helping TCA become one of the top programs in the state of New Jersey and winning a pair of state championships. Fusik also spent time as an assistant with Rutgers Prep Girls varsity for seven seasons prior to his time at Trenton, helping Rutgers Prep to three county championships and three Prep B championships. Fusik is a seasoned AAU coach, with several national championships on his resume.
 
The Matchups
This marks the first meeting between Lackawanna and Mercer since January 2022. The Falcons won that game, 87-50, on the road. There is a long history between the two programs, however, dating back to some epic and classic battles at the top of Region XIX throughout the 1990's.
 
Tuesday night's game is scheduled for 5:00pm ET start inside the gymnasium in the Physical Education building on campus at Mercer County CC in West Windsor Twp., NJ. The game is the first of two for the evening, with the men's teams following at 7:00pm ET. Both games will have a video livestream available via the Mercer County CC livestream on Vimeo, linked HERE.
 
The next game for Lackawanna is another road trip, this time to Carneys Point, NJ to take on Salem CC in another Region XIX DII women's basketball contest. The game is set for a 1:00pm ET start on Saturday, December 14^th, against the Mighty Oaks.