2/15/24
 
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – A slow start was all it took to put Lackawanna College women's basketball behind the eight-ball, as the Falcons dropped a 63-54 decision on the road at Monroe College in non-region women's basketball on Thursday evening.
 
The Falcons (10-12) fell behind 17-4 in the first period, committing nine turnovers and making just one shot from the floor the entire quarter. It was a deficit that proved much too great, but that didn't mean Lackawanna rolled over. Trailing 25-8 early in the second quarter, the Falcons hit a 10-0 run to cut the lead to just seven, but Monroe (16-7) zoomed back out to a 16-point lead by the break.
 
The Mustangs built a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Lackawanna once again closed the gap with a 10-0 run to force some substitutions from the home team to bring back a starter or two, before eventually closing the gap to nine to end the game.
 
Lackawanna shot 36% from the field and scored 19 points off turnovers, thanks to 13 steals, but the Falcons committed 20 turnovers and were outrebounded 49-30 by the taller Mustangs. Jayla South (First Year; Long Pond, PA) led the way with a game-high 28 points. Desiree White (First Year; Carlisle, PA) had 15 points.
 
Monroe shot 40% from the floor and outscored the Falcons 20-5 on second-chance points. The Mustangs had 12 steals and scored 23 points off turnovers, but did commit 24 turnovers of their own. Carlota Gomez-Alonso scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Nicole Benscome had 16 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, while Emma Wilson-Saltos had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
 
The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for Lackawanna. The Falcons have one more regular season game, a Region XIX DII clash with rival Union County College on Tuesday, February 20^th. The game is set for a 6:30pm start in Cranford, NJ.