2/24/24

SCRANTON, Pa. -- A pair of scoreless runs from the Lackawanna College women's basketball squad was just enough to doom the Falcons, as Middlesex College took a 58-51 win in the Region XIX Division II women's basketball play-in contest on Saturday afternoon in the Lackawanna College Student Union.
 
The Falcons (10-14) had an early 8-3 lead, but the visiting Colts (18-10) hit an 8-0 run when bench player Damani Anderson checked in and scored all eight points to put Middlesex in front. The Falcons, try as they might, couldn't get their shots to go down, shooting just 20.6% in the first half. Trailing 22-14 with less than a minute to go in the first half, Lackawanna used its defense to get back into the game, turning a pair of turnovers into points to close the half down 22-18.
 
But, the second half went even worse for the Falcons, as Middlesex used an 11-0 run to build a 33-18 advantage. The Falcons didn't score a bucket until the game was just inside the four minute mark of the third quarter, and they had work to do in the fourth, down 39-27 heading into the final frame.
 
Lackawanna upped the pressure in the fourth, and used an 8-2 burst to get the game to a 45-40 deficit with under five minutes to play, highlighted by a three-point play by Jayla South (First Year; Long Pond, PA). But, the Falcons couldn't get that final big shot, and Middlesex used a 9-3 run to push the lead back out to double-digits, then coasted to the win from there.
 
Lackawanna shot 23.9% from the field, and was just 2-for-23 from downtown. The Falcons were also 15-for-24 from the free throw line. South finished with a team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, coupled with three assists, four blocks, and four steals. Desiree White (First Year; Carlisle, PA) added 13 points and four rebounds. The Falcons committed 26 turnovers on the day, with only eight assists.
 
Middlesex shot 41.7% for the game, and 59.3% in the second half. The Colts were led by Anderson's game-high 20 points and five rebounds, all off the bench, while Courtney Hansen had 18 points, three rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
 
The win sends Middlesex into the Region XIX semi-final on Tuesday against top-seed Union County College in Cranford, NJ. The Falcons' 2023-2024 season is complete, finishing with ten wins and two players named to the All-Region XIX squad.