12/2/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Back from its Thanksgiving Break, Lackawanna women's basketball jumps right back into Region XIX DII play on Tuesday, December 3^rd, as the Falcons will take on Raritan Valley CC.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00pm ET inside Raritan Valley CC's on-campus gymnasium in Branchburg, NJ. The game is the first of two that night, with the men's teams following at 7:00pm ET. Both games will have a video livestream available via the RVCC Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (6-3, 3-1) come into the game sitting in second place in Region XIX Division II, but having dropped their last game, a 97-48 setback at home against #4 Union College (NJ) last Tuesday at home. The visiting Owls forced 36 turnovers and held Lackawanna to 27% from the floor, while scoring 43 points off turnovers and hitting 42% from the floor. The Falcons had two players in double-figures, but otherwise struggled on offense. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
Through nine games, the Falcons are averaging 73.1 points per game, while giving up 70.8 points per game against. Lackawanna is shooting 36.6% from the floor this season, while shooting 25% from three-point range. The Falcons have also struggled from the line, hitting 57.2% of their attempts. Lackawanna's opponents are hitting 36.9% from the floor and have hit 29% of their three-point shots. Lackawanna has a -1.8 rebounding margin, averaging 44.4 boards per game. The Falcons are averaging 19.8 turnovers per game, while forcing 20.3 per game this year. Lackawanna averages 11.8 steals per contest, while its opponents average 10.7 swipes per game. Lackawanna is averaging 4.2 blocks per game.
 
Sophomore forward Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) leads the team with 17.4 points per game this season, ninth in the region and fifth in DII. Salote is shooting 45.6% from the floor and averages a team-high 10.7 rebounds per game, fourth in DII. She also has 23 steals, tied for 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 eight of her nine games this year and has five 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. She scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had four steals in the loss to Union last Tuesday.
 
Sophomore guard Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) is second on the team with 14.3 points per game this season, ninth in DII. South is shooting 34.2% and has made a team-best eleven three-point shots through the early going. She averages 6.2 rebounds per game, third on the team, and has 26 assists, tops on the squad, along with 17 steals so far this season. South has scored double-figures in seven games so far this season, scoring her season and career-high with her 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). She had ten points and two boards in the loss to Union last Tuesday.
 
First-year guard Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY) is averaging 13.3 points per game this season, 12^th in DII, and is shooting 39% from the floor. Crocker averages 6.1 rebounds per game and has 25 assists and is tied for the team-lead with 23 steals this year. She's also second 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 struggled against Union, scoring just three points and grabbing five rebounds in the loss last Tuesday.
 
Sophomore guard Desiree White (Carlisle, PA) is fourth on the team with 12 points per game through her first four games, hitting seven three-point shots and shooting 32.6% from the floor to start the season. White averages 3.8 rebounds a game and has five steals through her first four 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 returned to action after missing five straight games, scoring four points in seven minutes against Union last Tuesday.
 
Sophomore forward E'ternity Aiken (Wilkes-Barre, PA) has 22 points through three games, 15 of which came in the win against Richard Bland College. Aiken is 8-for-17 (50.0%) from the floor and has 19 rebounds through three games. She also has six 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 last week against Union, getting the start and scoring three points in the loss.
 
Sophomore forward Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 8.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game through her nine appearances. Franklin is shooting 45.3% from the floor and has 21 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 Saturday. Saraiah has two double-doubles on the season. She had just three points and three rebounds, along with three assists, in the loss to Union.
 
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 27-28 in her time as the head coach for the Falcons.
 
About Raritan Valley CC
The Lions (3-4, 1-2) come into the contest after dropping their last three games, which includes a pair of Region XIX losses to Mercer County and Harcum, as well as an overtime loss on the road at Drew University JV. That loss to Drew happened on Sunday, December 1^st. Their most recent region game was last Tuesday, November 26^th, a 107-51 loss at Harcum. Harcum outscored Raritan by a 63-21 margin in the first half, forcing 29 turnovers for the game and holding Raritan to 31% from the floor.
 
This season, the Lions are averaging 78.4 points per contest, while giving up 77.7 points against this year. Raritan is averaging around 41.7% from the field, while hitting 31% from downtown and 70% from the free throw line. Opponents are averaging 38.7% from the floor and from three-point range. The Lions average around 36.8 rebounds per game and hold a slim +0.8 rebounding margin this year. Raritan averages nearly 23 turnovers per game and has forced just shy of 20 turnovers per contest from its opponents.
 
The Lions have four players averaging double-figures in scoring this season, with first-year player Sophia Larsen leading the pack at 14.5 points per game this year. Larsen is shooting 42.3% from the floor and hitting 36% of her three-point shots this year, with a team-high 13 makes through six games with statistics. Larsen is second on the team at six rebounds per game, is third in assists per game (2.2), and averages 1.3 steals per contest. Heading into the Drew JV game, she had five games in double-figures, putting up a season-high 25 points against Anne Arundel CC back on November 17^th, making nine shots and hitting five three-pointers in the 110-70 win. She had eight rebounds in that game, the second time she hit her season-high in boards this year, first doing so against CCBC Essex back on November 12^th. Larsen had ten points, three assists, and two rebounds against Harcum back on November 26^th.
 
First-year guard Ona Riopedre is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14 points per game this season. Riopedre is shooting 46.4% from the floor and is a 75% free throw shooter this season. Riopedre averages 4.7 rebounds per contest, fourth on the team, and is at 1.3 assists per game and 1.2 steals per game this season. She had four games in double-figures going into the Drew contest, scoring a season-best 23 points in the win against SUNY Orange on November 16^th. She had eight made shots, along with three three-pointers and four free throws, in the 90-54 win against the Colts. She has twice pulled down her season-high of seven rebounds, grabbing seven boards against Orange and Anne Arundel. She had ten points, and two rebounds in the loss to Harcum.
 
Sophomore guard Tori Fisher is averaging ten points per game this year through four contests, shooting 45.9% from the floor and a team-high 83.3% from the free throw line. She averages 2.5 rebounds per game, along with two assists per game and 1.5 steals per game. Fisher scored in double-figures twice this season, scoring her season-high 15 points in the win against Orange. She set season-highs in rebounds (4) and assists (4) in the win against Orange. She had 12 points and a season-high three steals in the win against Anne Arundel. She has not played in the last three games for Raritan.
 
Sophomore guard Julia Fontanillo is averaging 8.3 points per game this year, shooting 45.7% from the floor. Fontanillo leads the Lions in rebounds per contest (6.2), assists (6.3), and steals (3.3). Fontanillo has three games with double-figures scoring this season, including her season-high 13 points in the win at Del Tech on November 19^th. She had 13 on 6-for-11 shooting, while doling out a season-best 12 assists and pulling down nine rebounds, just narrowly missing a triple-double. She also had her season-high in steals with seven against Del Tech. She scored 12 points and had five rebounds and five assists in the loss to Harcum.
 
The head coach for Raritan is Phil Herro, now in his tenth season in charge. Herro is coming off one of his best seasons in charge, with last year's squad going 22-8 overall and 8-2 in region play, falling in the Region XIX DII semi-finals to Harcum. Herro turned the Lions from club sport into a competitive thorn in the side of Region XIX DII squads over the years, reaching the Region XIX semi-finals in four seasons. Herro has won 22 games in three seasons of his tenure, and is 125-103 in his career at Raritan Valley CC.
 
The Matchups
Tuesday's game between Lackawanna and Raritan is scheduled to tip-off at 5:00pm ET inside Raritan Valley CC's on-campus gymnasium in Branchburg, NJ. The game is the first of two that night, with the men's teams following at 7:00pm ET. Both games will have a video livestream available via the RVCC Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
The next game for the Falcons will be on Saturday, December 7^th, when Lackawanna is set to travel to Edison, NJ for a Region XIX DII contest with Middlesex College. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00pm ET, and the game will be the first of a doubleheader, with the men's teams playing afterwards at 3:00pm ET.