12/3/24
 
BRANCHBURG, NJ – A rough fourth quarter was Lackawanna women's basketball's undoing, as the Falcons went 3-for-18 in the final frame and fell to a hot-shooting Raritan Valley CC squad, 79-65, in Region XIX DII play on Tuesday night in New Jersey.
 
The Falcons (6-4, 3-2) managed just seven points in the final quarter, while the home Lions (4-4, 2-2) hit some big three-pointers early in the quarter to blow open the tight contest. Raritan shot 43% for the game and hit eleven three-pointers, while Lackawanna shot 30% from the floor, but didn't make another field goal over the final 5:50 of the fourth. In that time, Raritan turned a tied game at 58-all to start the quarter into a 74-61 lead at one point, burying the Falcons under an air attack from the outside. Raritan's Sophia Larsen hit five three-pointers and finished with 31 points, one of three Lions in double-figures for the night.
 
Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) led Lackawanna with another double-double, putting up a team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds. Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) added 13 points and six boards, while Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) and Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY) each battled through tough shooting nights to put up four assists, apiece.
 
The loss drops the Falcons to a three-way tie with Mercer County and Harcum for second in the region standings. Lackawanna has now dropped two straight region contests, and will look to bounce back on Saturday, December 7^th, when the Falcons travel to Edison, NJ to take on Middlesex College. The game will be the first of a doubleheader, starting at 1:00pm ET, with the men's teams following at 3:00pm ET.