1/24/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Falcons will remain on the road for the third time this week when they travel to Bryn Mawr, PA on Saturday, January 25^th, for a key Region XIX DII contest against the D2 #17 Harcum College Bears.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00pm ET inside the Our Mother of Good Counsel gymnasium on 31 Pennswood Road in Bryn Mawr. There is a video livestream available via the Harcum Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
The game has significant implications for both teams, in terms of their seeding in the Region XIX DII tournament next month. Lackawanna, which defeated Harcum earlier this season, 76-72, at home, is second with an 8-3 record in region play, while Harcum is in third at 7-3, a half-game behind. A win for the Falcons would give the Falcons a lead in the loss column and the head-to-head tiebreaker for second, while a win for Harcum would send the Bears into second and tumble the Falcons potentially down to fourth place.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (13-5, 8-3) had a six-game winning streak halted on Tuesday night in a loss at #4 Union College (NJ), but bounced back nicely on Thursday night with a 101-46 win on the road at SUNY Orange in non-region action. The Falcons shot 41% from the floor, had 29 offensive rebounds, and came up with 25 steals in the win, putting four players in double-figures scoring. You can read the recap HERE.
 
This season, the Falcons are averaging 72.9 points per game, while giving up 69.6 points per game against. Lackawanna is shooting 34.6% from the floor this season, while hitting 22.3% from three-point range. The Falcons have struggled from the free throw line, but they have gotten better as the season wears on, up to 59.4% this year. Lackawanna's opponents are shooting 36.3% from the floor and have hit 29.5% of their three-point shots. Lackawanna has a +5.4 rebounding margin, averaging 49.6 boards per game. The Falcons are averaging 21.6 turnovers per game, while forcing 20 per game this year. Lackawanna averages 12.6 steals per contest, while its opponents average just under eleven swipes per game. Lackawanna is averaging 4.4 blocks per game.
 
Sophomore forward Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) leads the team with 17.2 points per game this season, sixth in the region and third in DII. Salote is shooting 45.7% from the floor and averages a team-high 12.6 rebounds per game, first in DII. Franklin is a 9.4% free throw shooter, first on the team, and has hit ten three-pointers this season. She also has 42 steals, second on the team, and leads the Falcons with 30 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 back on December 14^th. 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 17 games this year and has 13 double-doubles on the year, including in her last seven games. 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 set her season-high in steals in her last game against Orange, securing seven steals, while also putting up 22 points and 20 rebounds in the win against the Colts on Thursday. In her last seven games, Franklin is averaging 18.7 points per game and 16.8 rebounds per contest. She scored 13 points and had eleven rebounds in the win against Harcum back in November.
 
Sophomore guard Desiree White (Carlisle, PA) is second on the team with 12.8 points per game through her 13 appearances, missing five games due to injury earlier this year. White has hit 21 three-point shots, first on the team, and is shooting 30.3% from the floor. White averages just over three rebounds a game and has 16 steals. Desi has hit double-figures seven 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 has scored in double-figures in four of her last five games. She set a season-best with four steals, while also scoring nine points and pulling down five boards in the win against Orange on Thursday. Desi wasn't available for the Harcum game in November.
 
Sophomore guard Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) is third on the team with 12.3 points per game this season. South is shooting 33.9% and has made 15 three-point shots, second on the team this season. She averages 6.2 rebounds per game, fourth on the team, and has 41 assists, tied for third on the squad, along with 33 steals so far this season. South has scored double-figures in 13 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 bounced back from a scoreless outing against Union on Tuesday to score 19 points and put up six boards in the win against Orange on Thursday. She had 12 points and four rebounds in the win against Harcum back in November.
 
First-year guard Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY) is averaging 10.9 points per game this season and is shooting 34% from the floor. Crocker averages 5.4 rebounds per game and has 48 assists, first on the team. She is also first on the team with 43 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. Crocker has nine games in double-digit points this season, including four of her last five games. In those five games, she averages 11.2 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game. She had 15 points and four boards in the win against Orange on Thursday night. She had 15 points and nine rebounds in the win against Harcum back on November 21^st.
 
Sophomore forward Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 8.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game through her 18 appearances. Franklin is shooting 39.9% from the floor and has 41 assists on the year, tied with South for third 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 and has hit double-figures in scoring in eight games this season. She scored 14 points and had eight boards in the victory against Orange.
 
Sophomore forward E'ternity Aiken (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging 5.3 points per game through her 12 contests this year. Aiken missed six games due to injury this season. She is shooting 37.7% from the floor and averages 6.3 rebounds per game, third on the team. She also has 15 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 on December 10^th. Aiken had two points and four boards in eight minutes of action against Orange on Thursday.
 
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 34-30 in her time as the head coach for the Falcons.
 
About #17 Harcum College
The Bears (14-5, 7-3) were winners of five straight games and ten of their last eleven heading into Tuesday night's match-up at Raritan Valley CC, but the Lions, which suffered a 50-point loss at Harcum earlier in the year, pulled a stunning upset at home, winning 64-62. Harcum had possession with a chance to tie or take the lead with 10.5 seconds remaining, but the Bears missed a lay-up inside, and Raritan secured the rebound to pull off the stunner. Harcum forced 24 turnovers and had 19 steals, but the Bears had a tough shooting night, only making 32% from the floor, and they went 3-for-19 from downtown. Raritan, meanwhile, hit 40% from the field and made three-pointers, overcoming a -18 rebounding margin for the game.
 
Harcum is averaging 79.5 points per game this season, shooting 40.9% from the floor and making 28.7% from downtown. The Bears are giving up 53.6 points per game on the year, while their opponents are shooting 31.5% from the floor and 23.6% from the three-point line. The Bears have a +12.5 rebounding margin, pulling down 43.9 rebounds per contest this season. The Bears average 17.2 steals per game, and are at 17.4 assists per game this year, while turning it over an average of 20.6 times per contest.
 
Sophomore center Amber Bullard leads the Bears at 15.6 points per game this season, shooting around 66% from the floor. Bullard also leads the team with nine rebounds per game, and blocks just under two shots per contest. Amber has played in 14 games this season, missing five games in a week's span of November, including the Lackawanna game on the 21^st. Bullard has hit double-figures in scoring in eleven games this season, scoring a season-best 24 points in the win against Baltimore City CC back on January 10^th. In that game, Bullard was an efficient 12-for-15 from the floor, while also grabbing ten boards. On the year, she's grabbed ten or more rebounds in five games, twice grabbing a season-best 13 rebounds. She had 22 points (on 10-for-11 shooting) and 13 rebounds in the season-opener against Bryant & Stratton Syracuse back on November 4^th, then had 22 and 13 in the win against Delaware Tech on December 7^th. She had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and a season-best four blocks in the win against Salem on January 14^th. She has five double-doubles on the year. Bullard scored 18 points and had nine rebounds in the loss to Raritan earlier this week.
 
Sophomore forward Kelsey Bess is second on the team at 12.3 points per game this year, shooting 31.2% from the floor and making 22 three-point shots this year, second on the team. Kelsey leads the Bears in makes (42) and attempts (52) from the free throw line, hitting at an 80.8% clip. Bess averages 4.4 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game, and 1.9 steals per game this season. Bess has scored in double-figures ten times this season, with her season-best 21 points coming in the win against Mesa CC on November 16^th. She was 9-for-12 from the free throw line and had five rebounds in the win. Bess has one double-double this year, going for her season-high ten rebounds and 15 points in the loss to CCBC Essex on November 16^th. Bess had season-highs in assists (7) and steals (6) against Bryant & Stratton to open the year on November 4^th. She scored 18 points and had six steals and five rebounds in the loss to Lackawanna in November. Bess has not played since December 13^th against CCBC Essex. She has missed the last six games for the Bears.
 
First-year guard Sofia Vitucci is averaging 9.5 points per game this season, shooting 43.2% from the floor and shooting 37% from downtown. Vitucci averages six rebounds per game, third on the team, while dishing out 2.5 assists and averaging 2.2 steals per game. Vitucci has eight games in double-figures this year, scoring her season-high 23 points in the win at Mercer on January 18^th, where she was 7-for-14 from the field and hit three three-pointers, as well as six free throws. She has one double-double this season, scoring 14 points and posting a season-high ten rebounds against Baltimore City CC on January 10^th. She also posted her season-best with seven assists in the win. She had 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a season-best six steals against the Mighty Oaks of Salem on November 19^th. She scored six points and tied her season-high with ten rebounds and five assists in the loss to Raritan on Tuesday. Against Lackawanna in November, she had only three points in just four minutes of game time.
 
Sophomore forward Deborah Okechukwu is scoring 9.3 points per game, shooting at 40.4% on the season. Okechukwu is second on the team at 7.4 rebounds per game this season. She has nine games in double-digit points, scoring her season-high 17 points against Salem CC on November 19^th, where she was 7-for-8 from the free throw line. She also had five rebounds and four steals in the win. Okechukwu has four double-doubles on the season, setting a season-high with 12 rebounds and eleven points in the loss to Raritan earlier this week. Okechukwu set her season-high in assists (7) and steals (5) in the win against Baltimore City CC on January 10^th. She had eleven points and ten rebounds in the loss to Lackawanna back in November.
 
Sophomore guard Bryce Havey-Carr averages 9.2 points per game, shooting 34.6% from the floor and hitting a team-best 81.8% from the free throw line. Harvey-Carr averages 2.8 assists per game this season and is tied for first on the team at 2.5 steals per game. She has seven games in double-figures scoring this season, with a season-high 19 points coming in the opener against Bryant & Stratton. Harvey-Carr set her season-high with seven assists, along with 14 points, six steals, and four rebounds, against Delaware Tech on December 7^th. She set a season-high against Salem in November with seven steals. She also had 16 points, four assists, and three rebounds in the win against the Mighty Oaks. Against Lackawanna earlier this season, she had 13 points and four rebounds. She had just two points, four steals, and a pair of rebounds in the loss to Raritan on Tuesday.
 
The head coach is Garrett Horton, in his first season at the helm for the Bears. Horton served as the Associate Head Coach last season for Harcum, helping lead the Bears to their seventh-place national ranking. His coaching career and experience is over the past decade, and he's the owner of Primetime Development Basketball Training, helping young players move on to four-year institutions at various levels.
 
The Matchup
This is the second match-up of the year between the Bears and the Falcons. Lackawanna won the first game, 76-72, at home, back on November 21^st. It was the first win for the Falcons against Harcum since the spring of 2021. Harcum had beaten Lackawanna six times in a row, prior to that result. In the Region XIX DII standings, Lackawanna (8-3) is second, Harcum (7-3) is third, and Raritan Valley (7-3) is fourth. A win for the Falcons solidifies their position in second and gives them a huge tiebreaker over the Bears. A win for Harcum could launch the Bears into second, while potentially dropping Lackawanna all the way to fourth place behind Raritan Valley.
 
Saturday's tip-off is scheduled for 1:00pm ET inside the Our Mother of Good Counsel gymnasium on 31 Pennswood Road in Bryn Mawr. There is a video livestream available via the Harcum Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
Lackawanna returns home for the first of four straight Region XIX DII games on Tuesday, January 28^th, when the Falcons are set to host the aforementioned Raritan Valley CC Lions inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The game is set for a 5:00pm ET start, and it will be the first of a doubleheader, with the men's teams following at 7:00pm ET.