1/18/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – A key run towards the end of the third quarter was enough to propel Lackawanna College women's basketball to its sixth straight win, knocking off Delaware Tech CC, 83-62, in Region XIX DII play on Saturday afternoon inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium.
 
The Falcons (12-4, 8-2) held a 13-point lead at the break, but the visitors from Del Tech had hung around through the first half of the third quarter, getting to within eleven at 50-39. Lackawanna was quick to tamp down any potential comeback, however, as the Falcons closed the quarter on a 19-4 run to blow things wide open.
 
It started when Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) scored underneath to make it 52-39, Falcons, with 5:16 to go in the 3^rd. A few minutes later, reserve Olivia Samuels (Brookly, NY) snagged an offensive rebound, then banged home a three-pointer to make it 55-39, Falcons. Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) then forced a turnover and scored on a breakaway lay-up to bring it to 57-39, Lackawanna, forcing a timeout from Del Tech with 4:04 to go in the third quarter.
 
Franklin went 1-for-2 from free throw line, but an offensive board led to another Samuels three-pointer that pushed the Lackawanna lead up to 22 points, where it would more-or-less stay for the rest of the game.
 
Delaware Tech (0-16, 0-10), despite playing with just six players, had the game tight initially, taking a pair of separate three-point leads in the second quarter, but Lackawanna used an 11-2 spurt midway through the second quarter to snag the lead, helped along by three-pointers from Alania Ortiz (Allentown, PA) and Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY). Crocker ended up with 12 points, all in the first half, to help the Falcons take a 44-31 lead into halftime.
 
Lackawanna placed four players in double-figures. Salote Franklin led the way with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Crocker and Desiree White (Carlisle, PA) each added 12 points. Ortiz scored ten, South and Samuels each had eight points, and Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) finished with four points and ten rebounds. The Falcons shot 35% from the floor and hit eight three-pointers at a 26% clip from downtown.
 
DTCC had three players in double-figures, led by Amiya Mills with 18 points. Tierra Johnson had 15 points and four assists, while Thailys Torres finished with 17 points.
 
Lackawanna College has now won six straight games, the longest winning streak for Lackawanna since winning six-in-a-row to open the shortened 2021 season. The Falcons now sit at 12-4 overall and 8-2 in Region XIX DII play, second place behind nationally ranked Union College. The Falcons will take on the undefeated Owls in their next contest, Tuesday, January 21^st, at 5:00pm ET in Cranford, NJ.