1/27/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College men's basketball begins a crucial three-game home stretch on Tuesday, January 28^th, when the Falcons are set to host Raritan Valley CC for a key Region XIX DII match-up on Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night in the Electric City.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The game is the second of a pair, as the women's teams are set to play first at 5:00pm 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 is a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
It's Faculty & Staff Appreciation night, as well as the annual Difference Makers games. Between the women's and men's game, there will be a brief presentation to the "Difference Makers" at Lackawanna College, as chosen by the student-athletes on the women's and men's basketball teams.
 
This is the second meeting between the Lions and the Falcons, with Raritan winning 94-76 back on December 3^rd in New Jersey. The Lions shot 49% for the game and had four players in double-figures, while the Falcons couldn't keep pace, only shooting at 39.7%. Lackawanna twice came back from big deficits, but could never quite get it to a competitive score.
 
It's a crucial game for the Falcons, who sit at 4-4 and in fourth place in the Region XIX DII standings. Raritan Valley is 6-2 in region play and is in second place behind Middlesex College. A win for the Falcons would help Lackawanna try to keep pace with Morris in third, while giving Lackawanna a bit more breathing room in front of Essex. A loss would push Lackawanna's record to 4-5, and potentially tie it with Essex County College for fourth, with some tough games still to come.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (11-11, 4-4) enter the game on a two-game skid, dropping a close one at home last week to Cecil before getting run over by the Colts from SUNY Orange last Thursday. #25 Orange shot 47% for the game and had 16 steals, while outrebounding Lackawanna by a +21 margin. The Falcons scored 42 points and trailed by two in an entertaining first half, but couldn't keep up the pace in the second. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
The Falcons average 79 points per contest, while giving up 81.5. Lackawanna is shooting 39.9% from the field and 26.6% from downtown. Meanwhile, Lackawanna opponents are hitting 44.7% and 32.8%, respectively. Lackawanna has a + 1.5 rebounding margin, with 43.8 boards per game this year. The Falcons have a 0.8 assist/turnover ratio, with 305 assists vs. 368 turnovers. Lackawanna has forced 378 turnovers so far this season, a 17.2 turnovers per game average, and is averaging ten steals per contest.
 
First-year guard Evan Laybourn-Boddie (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging 17.4 points per game this season, 13th in Region XIX and fifth in Division II. He's shooting 37.4% from the floor and 75.5% from the free throw line. Laybourn-Boddie leads the team with 48 three-point makes, tied for fourth in Region XIX. He has dished out 80 assists (3.8 per game) and leads the Falcons with 55 steals this season. Laybourn-Boddie has scored double-digits 18 times this season, putting up a season-high 28 points in the win against SUNY Onondaga on November 10^th, making eleven shots, four of which were three-pointers, while putting up five steals, four assists, and four rebounds. Laybourn-Boddie had six assists to go with his 26 points, six rebounds, and three steals in the overtime win against Jamestown. Laybourn-Boddie scored 23 points and set season-highs in three-point makes (5) and rebounds (8), along with five assists in the win against Sussex  back on December 12^th. Evan set his season-high with eleven assists and 17 points in the win against Rockland on January 11^th, going 11-for-16 from the free throw line. He matched that output from the line against Cecil last week, scoring 25 points and going 11-for-14 on the charity stripe in the loss. Laybourn-Boddie posted 25 points for the second straight game last week against SUNY Orange, making eleven shots from the floor in the loss for Lackawanna. He had nine points in the loss to Raritan back in December.
 
Sophomore guard Shawnn Smith (Philadelphia, PA) is second on the team, averaging 15.4 points per game this season. Smith is shooting 44.9% from the floor and is 22-for-23 from the free throw line. He averages six rebounds per game and has 24 assists. He has scored 20 points or more in three games this season and has scored double-figures in nine of the ten games he's played. Smith had 23 points and seven rebounds, while playing all 40 minutes, in a loss to Montgomery County CC on November 6^th. He set a season-high with nine rebounds in the loss to PSU Scranton on November 4^th. Smith matched that season-high with nine rebounds against Essex, while also scoring 18 points and dishing out a pair of assists in the win for Lackawanna. Smith matched his season-best with nine rebounds and 15 points, along with a season-high five assists in the loss at Delaware Tech. Smith has not played the last eleven games for Lackawanna College due to injury, with his last appearance coming against DTCC in November.
 
Sophomore guard Nick Marabito (Upper Darby, PA) is averaging 13.4 points per game this season, third on the team. Marabito is shooting 35.7% from the floor, and has made 38 threes, second on the team. Marabito is a 75.5% free throw shooter and averages 4.1 rebounds per game this year. Marabito is second on the team with 22 steals this season and is fourth on the team with 27 assists this season. Marabito has scored in double-figures 13 times this year, with his season-high coming against Mercer County CC on December 10^th, scoring 23 points in the win against the Vikings. Marabito made seven shots from the floor and was 7-for-9 from the free throw line, while also pulling down five rebounds and putting up four steals. Marabito set a season-high for rebounds (12) and had 17 points in the win against Essex on January 14^th, going 6-for-20 from the floor. Marabito had 13 points, five rebounds, and a season-best eight assists in the win against Sussex in December. Marabito had a nice game against Westchester on January 9^th, leading the Falcons with 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting, hitting four three-pointers, and dishing out four assists. Marabito had seven points and five rebounds in 16 minutes of action against Orange last week. Marabito had 15 points and three rebounds against Raritan Valley in December.
 
Sophomore forward Jireej Cole (Bronx, NY) has three double-doubles in his first six games this season, all coming in the spring semester. Cole is averaging 9.8 points per game and ten rebounds per game. He's shooting 55% from the floor and hitting 68.2% from the free throw line. Cole has scored double-figures in three games this year, scoring his season-best 16 points in the loss to SUNY Westchester on January 9^th. He set his season-high with 15 rebounds in the loss to Cecil last Tuesday, scoring nine points for the Falcons. He had 13 points and eleven rebounds in the win against Essex on January 14^th, going 5-for-7 down the stretch on the free throw line. Against Orange on Thursday, Cole was held to three points and five rebounds in 26 minutes. Cole was not available for the Falcons against Raritan in December.
 
First-year guard Noah Elias (Silver Spring, MD) is averaging 8.8 points per game through his first six games of action in the spring semester. Elias is hitting 47.6% from the floor and has knocked down eleven three-pointers at a 42.3% clip from downtown. Elias is averaging 4.2 rebounds per game and has 15 assists through his six games. Elias scored his season-best 17 points in his debut against SUNY Westchester on January 9^th, hitting four three-pointers in the loss. Elias had four points, six rebounds, and five assists in the win against SUNY Rockland on January 11^th. Elias scored 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting and had a pair of rebounds and a pair of assists in the loss to Cecil last Tuesday. He had three points, a season-high seven rebounds, and three assists in the loss to Orange on Thursday. Elias did not play against Raritan in December.
 
First-year stretch forward Noah McIntosh (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 8.6 points per contest this year. McIntosh is shooting 41.7% from the floor and averages three rebounds per contest this season. He also has 17 assists, 15 steals, and a team-high 18 blocks. Noah has scored double-figures in eight games this season. He has scored his season-high 20 points twice this year, the first coming against Jefferson CC on November 9^th, hitting nine shots and pulling down seven rebounds. The second came in the win against Sussex on December 12^th, scoring 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting. McIntosh set his season-high for rebounds twice this season, pulling down seven boards in the opener against Thaddeus Stevens on November 2^nd, and then grabbing seven boards against Jefferson. McIntosh had nine points and five rebounds in the win against Rockland on January 11^th. McIntosh scored double-figures for the first time in six games, putting up ten points and two rebounds in the loss to Orange on Thursday. Against Raritan back in December, he had five points and a rebound in 17 minutes.
 
Sophomore guard Jasier Carter (North Brunswick, NJ) is averaging seven points per game this season, shooting 50% from the floor. Carter averages 4.2 rebounds per game and has 32 assists, third on the team, and 18 steals this season. Carter scored a season-high 20 points twice this season, first doing it against Raritan, along with a season-best eight rebounds on December 3^rd. He matched that season-high against Morris back in December, scoring 20 points and grabbing six rebounds in the loss. He has scored double-figures four times this season, putting up 14 points against SUNY Ulster on November 12^th, then scoring ten points and matching his season-high rebounds with eight boards against Mercer in December. Carter set a season-high with four assists, four rebounds, and six points in the win against Essex on January 14^th, then matched that season-high with four assists in the loss to Orange on Thursday.
 
First-year forward Tyrick Moy (Williamsport, PA) is averaging 6.4 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game this season, second on the team in rebounding. Moy also has 18 assists and is shooting 45.3% from the floor. Moy has scored double-figures four times this season, putting up a season-high 17 points and eight rebounds in the win against Jamestown. Moy scored all eight points in overtime for the Falcons. Moy's season-high in rebounding came against Ulster, where he pulled down 12 boards and scored nine points on November 12^th. Moy was held scoreless against Orange on Thursday night. He had 12 points and six rebounds in the loss at Raritan Valley on December 3^rd.
 
Head coach Kirk Fallon is in his second season as the head coach, and his fifth overall with Lackawanna College men's basketball. Fallon came to the Falcons after a successful two seasons coaching girls basketball at Susquehanna Community HS. Fallon led the Lady Sabers to back-to-back PIAA District 2 championships and a 40-17 record in his two years. Before that, he was also a college basketball assistant at Keystone College for four seasons, where he was involved a lot of the logistics for the program. Kirk has a Bachelor's degree from Marywood, where he played three seasons for the Pacers. He's a northeast PA native, graduating from Susquehanna as a 1,000-point scorer. Fallon is 19-29 in his career at Lackawanna as head coach.
 
About Raritan Valley CC
The defending Region XIX champion Lions (12-10, 6-2) have had an up-and-down spring semester, going 4-3 with some impressive wins and some tough losses. Amongst the impressive wins is the most recent for Raritan, as the Lions knocked off Region XIX DI opponent Harcum College, 85-84, last Tuesday. Raritan held a 43-40 lead at the break, and expanded that lead out to 66-54 with just under 12 minutes to go, but a put-back dunk woke up the visiting Bears, as Harcum went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to two, then eventually took the lead at the 6:50 mark on a breakaway dunk at 69-67. Eventually, with Harcum clinging to an 84-83 lead with 20 seconds to go, Raritan drew a foul with 4.6 seconds to play and sank two free throws to take the one-point lead. Harcum drove the ball the length of the floor and tried to draw contact, but the shot missed and Raritan earned a huge win.
 
The Lions are extremely balanced with four players in double-figures this season, and the squad averages 85.5 points per game, while giving up 82 per contest this year. Raritan is shooting 47.2% from the floor and is up to 32.6% from downtown. The Lions are good from the line, hitting 73.5% from the free throw line. Their opponents are shooting 45.6% from the floor and 35.3% from deep. Raritan has a -1.3 rebounding margin, averaging 36.6 boards per game this year. Their opponents are turning the ball over an average of 15.5 times per game, and Raritan is at 12.6 turnovers per contest, while putting up 7.9 steals per game and 3.5 blocks per contest.
 
First-year forward Najee Graham leads the team at 16.9 points per game this season, hitting 49.6% from the floor, 32% from downtown, and a team-best 81% from the free throw line. Graham averages a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game, is third on the team at 3.3 assists per game, and is second in steals per contest (1.4). Graham scored his season-high 33 points against Henry Ford College in a four-point loss on December 14^th. In that game, Graham was 12-for-20 from the floor, 8-for-8 from the free throw line, and posted six rebounds. On the year, he has hit double-figures scoring in 17 games this season and has eight double-doubles on the season. Graham set his season-best with 19 rebounds against Delaware Tech on November 19^th. His season-high in assists came against Dundalk on January 20^th, where he put up 21 points and eleven helpers in a 20-point win for the Lions. Graham has nine games where he scored 20 or more points. He had 18 points and eight rebounds in the win against Harcum last week. He killed the Falcons in December, scoring 31 points and putting up eleven rebounds in the victory for Raritan.
 
First-year guard Raydelh Boutin is second on the team at 16.2 points per game this season. Boutin is shooting 46.1% from the floor and hitting 80.5% of his free throws this season. He's also a 32.4% three-point shooter this year. Boutin averages 4.4 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per contest, and is at just over one steal per game. Boutin has 17 games in double-figures this season, scoring his season-high against Harcum last week, scoring 33 points on 11-for-19 shooting, making five three-pointers in the victory. Boutin also tied his season-high with six assists in the win, which he first set the game before against Dundalk. Boutin had 30 points and a season-high nine rebounds in the loss to Morris back in December. Against Lackawanna in December, he had 17 points and five assists.
 
First-year guard Sutan Fitzpatrick averages 14.7 points per game this season, shooting at 44.7% from the floor and hitting around 29% of his attempts from deep. Fitzpatrick leads the team in assists (5.7 per game) and is second in steals (1.2 per game), while averaging 6.2 rebounds per contest, also second on the team. He scored double-figures in 17 games this season, putting up a season-best 27 points against Henry Ford College in December, going 11-for-20 from the floor and making five free throws. Fitzpatrick has two double-doubles on the year and one triple-double. His triple-double came against Ulster on January 16^th, where he had 13 points, eleven rebounds, and 13 assists in the win for the Lions. He set his season-high with 15 assists in the win against Delaware Tech on January 14^th. His season-high of 12 rebounds came against Passaic on December 12^th. Against Lackawanna in December, Fitzpatrick had 15 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in the victory. He had seven points, six rebounds, and four assists in the win against Harcum, but left the game late due to injury.
 
Naz Robinson is scoring 14.7 points per game this season, shooting a team-best 57.3% from the floor and hitting 48% from downtown, while also making 70.5% of his free throws. Robinson averages 2.9 rebounds per game and is second on the team at 3.5 assists per contest. He also averages 2.1 steals per game, first on the team. He has 16 games with double-digit scoring, putting up his season-best 28 points twice this year. He had 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting in the loss to Morris back in December, then matched that with 28 points against Dundalk, making 12-for-17 from the floor and hitting a season-high four three-pointers. He had 14 points and a season-high eight assists in the win against Delaware Tech back on January 14^th. Robinson hit his season-high in rebounds twice, getting six boards against SUNY Ulster on January 16^th, and then doing it again against Harcum last week. He had 12 points and seven assists in the win against Harcum last week. In the win against Lackawanna, Robinson had 19 points and a season-best five assists.
 
Kevin Ryan returns as the head basketball coach at Raritan Valley CC, now in his 12^th season overall with the program. Ryan took the fledgling Lions program and turned it into a year-in, year-out Region XIX power, culminating in the program's first two Region XIX championships in the last two seasons. Ryan's team last year went 24-7 overall, his best record at Raritan, and the fourth time he's won 20 or more games. Ryan first took over the program in 2012, and won 100 games in six seasons, ending with a 22-10 record in 2017-2018, his best season at the time. He left the program for one year, then returned ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign, once again retooling and rebuilding the Lions into the two-time defending champions. Ryan is a New Jersey native, playing two seasons of basketball at St. Peter's Prep before transferring to Lawrence Academy in Massachusetts, then playing a year of NCAA Division III basketball at Hartwick College in New York. He's a Catholic University graduate, who has spent time coaching in the AAU circuit in New Jersey for several years before taking over at Raritan. Ryan is 196-123 all-time in his Raritan career.
 
The Match-Ups
This is the second meeting of the season between Raritan and Lackawanna, with the Lions winning the December meeting, 96-74, in New Jersey. Raritan has won eight of the last nine match-ups with the Falcons, with the lone Lackawanna win coming in February 2023, when Lackawanna won 84-74 at home.
 
This begins a crucial run of home games for the Falcons, where their final four Region XIX contests in the regular season will be at home. Three of those four games are against the three teams ahead of the Falcons in the Region XIX DII standings. As things stand heading into Tuesday night:
 
1 – Middlesex (18-4, 6-2)
2 – Raritan Valley (12-10, 6-2)
3 – County College of Morris (10-11, 6-4)
4 – Lackawanna College (11-11, 4-4)
5 – Essex County College (6-14, 3-5)
 
Morris is idle on Tuesday, while #1 Middlesex is hosting #5 Essex, and #2 Raritan Valley is at #4 Lackawanna. A win for the Falcons over RVCC could draw the Falcons closer to Morris at the three-spot, while giving Raritan a little less wiggle room ahead of the Titans. A loss for the Falcons would bring them below .500 and closer to fifth-seed Essex. The Falcons own the tiebreaker over the Wolverines, but the margin for error for Lackawanna would be minimal for the rest of the region schedule.
 
Tip-off on Tuesday is scheduled for 7:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The game is the second of a pair, as the women's teams are set to play first at 5:00pm 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 is a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
Lackawanna remains in Region XIX DII action at home in its next contest on Saturday, February 1^st, when the Falcons are set to host Middlesex College. Start time is 3:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The game is the second of a doubleheader, with the women's teams playing first at 1:00pm ET.