1/17/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College women's basketball is home for another Region XIX Division II contest this weekend, as the Falcons are set to host Delaware Tech CC in Scranton on Saturday, January 18^th.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. It's the first game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams playing afterwards at 3:00pm ET. The games are open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for adults ($5) and students ($3). Anyone with a valid Lackawanna College ID will gain free admission. There will also be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
This is the second game of the year between Delaware Tech and Lackawanna. Previously, the Falcons defeated Del Tech 81-51 in Newark, Delaware on November 23^rd. Four players scored double-figures and Lackawanna used a run in the third quarter to change what could have been a tight game into a runaway victory. You can read the recap HERE.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (11-4, 7-2) are currently in second place in the Region XIX Division II standings, slightly ahead of third-place Harcum College, which is 6-2. Lackawanna earned its seventh Region XIX win and fifth-straight victory overall this past Tuesday in a double overtime win at home against Essex County College. The Falcons blew a first-half double-digit lead in a game that lacked offensive firepower right up until the final minutes. Both teams hit big shots down the stretch, with Essex hitting game-tying shots with under ten seconds to go in both the fourth quarter and the first overtime period. Eventually, the visitors ran out of gas and Lackawanna hit big shots in the second OT to take the game, 76-70. Six players scored in double-figures for the Falcons in the win. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
This season, the Falcons are averaging 71.1 points per game, while giving up 69.1 points per game against. Lackawanna is shooting 34.7% from the floor this season, while hitting 23% from three-point range. The Falcons have struggled from the free throw line, getting better as the season wears on, hitting 59.5% of their attempts. Lackawanna's opponents are shooting 36% from the floor and have hit 29.5% of their three-point shots. Lackawanna has a +3.3 rebounding margin, averaging 47.8 boards per game. The Falcons are averaging 20.5 turnovers per game, while forcing 19.7 per game this year. Lackawanna averages 11.9 steals per contest, while its opponents average 10.6 swipes per game. Lackawanna is averaging 4.3 blocks per game.
 
Sophomore forward Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) leads the team with 17.3 points per game this season, seventh in the region and third in DII. Salote is shooting 44.4% from the floor and averages a team-high 12.1 rebounds per game, first in DII. Franklin is a 69.9% free throw shooter, first on the team, and has hit nine three-pointers this season, tied for fourth. She also has 35 steals, second on the team, and leads the Falcons with 23 blocks this year. 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 23 boards and 28 points in the win against Salem last month. Salote was 15-for-16 from the free throw line in the contest, going 8-for-8 in the fourth quarter alone, to help secure the win. Salote has scored double-figures in 14 games this year and has ten double-doubles on the year. She set a season-high with eight assists in the win against Essex on November 19^th, where she also had 14 points and ten boards. 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 19 points and had 20 rebounds, while posting a season-best four blocks, in the win against Essex County College this past Tuesday.
 
Sophomore guard Desiree White (Carlisle, PA) is second on the team with 13.1 points per game through her ten appearances, missing five games due to injury earlier this year. White has hit 16 three-point shots, first on the team, and is shooting 32.1% from the floor. White averages 3.3 rebounds a game and has seven steals. Desi has hit double-figures five times this year, scoring her season-high against Herkimer on January 11^th, posting 28 points on a season-best ten makes. She hit three three-pointers, made five free throws, and had a pair of assists and a pair of rebounds in the win against Herkimer. Against Catonsville, she had 13 points and four boards. She had 20 points against Mercer on December 10^th, hitting seven shots and knocking down three three-point shots. Her previous season-high was 26 points on 8-for-18 shooting and a season-high four made three-pointers in the loss to Montgomery on November 12^th. Desi did not play against Delaware Tech in the first meeting. She had 14 points and seven rebounds in the win against Essex Tuesday. Desi led the team last season, averaging 16.9 points per game and hitting a team-high 40 three-pointers.
 
Sophomore guard Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) is third on the team with 13 points per game this season. South is shooting 32.9% and has made 15 three-point shots, second on the team this season. She averages 6.7 rebounds per game, third on the team, and has 37 assists, tied for second on the squad, along with 31 steals so far this season. South has scored double-figures in 12 games 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 set a season-high for rebounds with eleven boards and 12 points in the loss to Montgomery back on November 12^th. She matched that season-high in rebounds with eleven, along with seven points and four assists, in the win against Herkimer. Jayla had 18 points and eight rebounds, along with three assists, in the win against Delaware Tech earlier this season. She had ten points and 13 rebounds in the win against Essex on Tuesday.
 
First-year guard Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY) is averaging eleven points per game this season and is shooting 34.6% from the floor. Crocker averages 5.3 rebounds per game and has 41 assists, first on the team. She is first on the team with 34 steals. Crocker scored her season-high against Jamestown on November 16^th, exploding for 28 points and a season-best 13 rebounds in the win. 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 12 points and had three rebounds and two assists in the win against Essex on Tuesday. Against Del Tech, she had 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the victory for the Falcons.
 
Sophomore forward Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 8.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game through her 15 appearances. Franklin is shooting 38.8% from the floor and has 37 assists on the year, tied with South for second on the team. Saraiah had one of her best games of the year against Essex in November, scoring 14 points and setting a season-high in assists (5), along with matching her season-high in steals (3) and grabbing 12 rebounds. 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. Saraiah set her season-high in rebounds with 16 boards against Herkimer, where she also put up 13 points and had four assists in the win. Saraiah has three double-doubles on the season. Against Del Tech in November, she had 12 points and eight rebounds. Against Essex on Tuesday, she had ten points and eight rebounds in the win.
 
Sophomore forward E'ternity Aiken (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging six points per game through her nine contests this year. Aiken missed six games due to injury this season. She is shooting 42.5% from the floor and averages 6.6 rebounds per game, fourth on the team. She also has 14 steals. Aiken had 15 points and eleven boards in the win against Richard Bland College, her lone double-double of the season. She also had four steals and a pair of assists. She tied her season-high with eleven rebounds against Middlesex, along with eight points, two blocks, and two assists. Aiken scored four points, had seven rebounds, and dished out three assists against Mercer. Aiken was not available for the Falcons against Delaware Tech in November. She had eleven points and five rebounds, along with three blocks, two steals, and two assists in the win against Essex on Tuesday.
 
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 32-29 in her time as the head coach for the Falcons.
 
About Delaware Tech CC
Del Tech (0-15, 0-9) is winless on the season, but has had several close calls. DTCC dropped a 62-60 game to Middlesex at home to end the fall semester portion of the schedule as their closest defeat. In their latest contest, Del Tech fell 76-62 to Raritan Valley on the road this past Tuesday. It was a competitive game through halftime, with Del Tech trailing the Lions 34-31 at the break, but Raritan scored 28 points in the third period to blow things open. DTCC shot 40.6% from the floor and outrebounded Raritan by a 42-27 margin, but they committed 27 turnovers and hit just four three-pointers in the loss.
 
Del Tech is averaging just 52.8 points per game this year, while giving up just under 82 per contest. They're shooting 32% from the floor and 22.2% from downtown, while their opponents are hitting 39.7% from the field and 25.2% from deep. Del Tech has a -11.4 rebounding margin this season, averaging 36.3 boards per contest and giving up 47.7 rebounds per game, which includes just over 19 offensive rebounds per game. Del Tech's opponents average 17 steals per game and force Del Tech to commit 25.4 turnovers per game this season.
 
First-year player Thailys Torres is averaging 12.9 points per game, one of two players in double-figures scoring for DTCC. Torres is shooting 28.2% from the floor and averages a team-high 80% from the free throw line. Torres is at 4.5 rebounds per game and averages 1.7 steals per game and 2.6 assists per game. Torres has nine games with double-digit points this season, scoring her season-best with 24 points on 8-for-19 shooting against Raritan back in November, hitting four three-pointers. She had 23 points and seven rebounds, making a season-best five three-pointers in a loss to Cecil College on November 26^th. Torres had a season-high seven assists and five points in the loss to Chesapeake College on December 13^th. She set her season-high in rebounding in her latest game, grabbing nine boards and scoring 18 points in the loss at Raritan on Tuesday. She had 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the loss to Lackawanna earlier this season.
 
First-year player Amiya Mills is second on the team at 10.6 points per game this season, shooting 32.2% from the floor and hitting 27.4% from downtown. Mills averages 4.1 rebounds per game and is third on the team with 2.8 assists per contest. Mills has scored over ten points six this season, scoring her season-best 28 points in a loss to Essex in December. Mills had 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting, hitting a season-best eight three-pointers and securing four steals and a pair of rebounds in the loss. She set her season-high in rebounds with seven in the loss to Union College on November 12^th, then matched that with seven boards against Lackawanna in November. She had just two points in the loss to the Falcons. Mills had ten points and a season-high six assists in the loss to Mercer on December 3^rd. She had six points, five rebounds, and three assists in the loss to Raritan on Tuesday.
 
First-year player Brennah Scott is third on the team at 8.8 points per game this season, shooting 23% from the floor and 24% from deep. Scott is second on the team in rebounding (6.8) and assists (3.0), while leading DTCC in steals (2.3 per game). Scott had missed the first ten games of the year, then scored her season-high 19 points in her debut against Chesapeake, making seven shots, five of which were three-pointers. She had eight points and season-highs in rebounds (13) and assists (5) in the loss to Essex on December 17^th. She did not play against Lackawanna in November, and she missed the most recent game against Raritan Valley.
 
First-year player Aniyah Williams is averaging 8.1 points per game this year on 40.6% shooting. Williams averages 6.3 rebounds per game, third on the squad, and averages 2.1 assists per contest this year. Williams has scored in double-figures six times, setting her season-high with 15 points in the loss to Montgomery on November 9^th. She had seven makes in that game, along with seven rebounds. She set her season-high in rebounds with nine against Union on November 12^th, along with a season-high three steals. She matched that rebounding mark with nine boards in the loss to Cecil on November 26^th. Against Lackawanna, Williams had 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the loss. Against Raritan on Tuesday, she scored nine points and had eight rebounds.
 
First-year player Ciara Whittle is averaging 7.9 points per game this season, shooting at 38.8% from the floor. Whittle leads Del Tech in rebounding at eight per game. She has scored double-figures in five games this season, with a season-best 19 points coming in the loss to Mercer in December. She made seven shots and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the loss, posting seven boards. She has hit double-figures in rebounding in four games this season, with a season-best 14 boards coming in the loss to Frederick back on November 10^th. Whittle has two double-doubles this season, her first coming against Lackawanna in November, where she scored 14 points and posted 12 rebounds. Her second double-double happened against Raritan earlier this week, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 boards in the loss.
 
Tierra Johnson is the lone sophomore on the squad, averaging 6.3 points per contest this year. Johnson is shooting around 24.5% from the floor and averages a team-high 4.8 assists per game. She also averages 3.4 rebounds per game and 1.2 steals per game this year. Johnson has scored in double-figures three times this season, scoring a season-high 13 points in the loss to RCSJ Gloucester to open the year on November 4^th. She got a season-high nine assists in the loss to Chesapeake back on December 13^th. She did not play against Lackawanna in November, but she had ten points, three rebounds, and four assists in the loss to Raritan Valley on Tuesday.
 
The head coach for Delaware Tech is Brittany Ford. Ford was originally hired as an assistant before the 2021-2022 season, and helped Del Tech qualify for the Region XIX DII playoffs. Ford stuck with the program through the last two seasons, where numbers forced Del Tech to sit out the back half of the 2022-2023 season, and all of last year. Ford came to Del Tech after spending a few seasons as an assistant coach at Lincoln University, and coaching AAU in both boys and girls basketball in the Philly and northern Delaware areas. Ford played four years of Division I basketball at St. Joe's University and is a Wilmington, DE native.
 
The Matchup
This is the second time match-up between Delaware Tech and Lackawanna, with the Falcons victorious back in November by an 81-51 score. In the current Region XIX DII standings, Lackawanna is second at 7-2, while Delaware Tech is in last place at 0-9. A win for the Falcons will help them stay in front of Harcum, which plays at Mercer on Saturday. A win for Del Tech would give them their first win of the year, and it could potentially tie DTCC with Salem CC, which is 1-8 and at Essex on Saturday.
 
Saturday's game is scheduled for 1:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. It's the first game of a doubleheader, with the men's teams playing afterwards at 3:00pm ET. The games are open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for adults ($5) and students ($3). Anyone with a valid Lackawanna College ID will gain free admission. There will also be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
Up next for the Falcons is an important week, as Lackawanna hits the road for three straight games, two against nationally ranked, Region XIX DII opponents. The first game of the stretch is on Tuesday, January 21^st, as the Falcons travel to take on #4 Union College. Tip-off is set for 5:00pm ET in Cranford, NJ.