1/31/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – In the face of an uneven January and with time running low on the regular season, Lackawanna College men's basketball will look to end a three-game skid and get back in the win column on Saturday, February 1^st, when the Falcons host Middlesex College in Region XIX Division II play.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The game is 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.
 
This is the second meeting between the Lackawanna and Middlesex this year, with the Colts dominating the Falcons in their first meeting, 95-65, in Edison, NJ back in December. It was a game where Lackawanna came from down big to get within ten with ten minutes to go, but the Colts hit the gas and scored nearly 30 points over the last ten minutes to pull away for the blowout win. Middlesex shot 51% from the floor and put four players in double-figures, while holding a +20 rebounding margin. The Falcons had a miserable shooting performance, hitting just 28% from the floor and 5-for-28 from downtown.
 
It's another important game for the Falcons in Region XIX play, as Lackawanna sits at 4-5 and in fourth place in the Region XIX DII standings. The Falcons are a half-game ahead of Mercer County CC (3-5) and a full game ahead of Essex County College (3-6). A loss to Middlesex could set up a situation where the Falcons must win against Mercer next week to even guarantee a playoff position. Middlesex (7-2) is in first in the region, just ahead of Raritan Valley (7-2) because of a better overall record this year.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (11-12, 4-5) come into the weekend on a three-game losing streak, dropping their most recent contest, a 95-90 setback at home to Raritan Valley CC this past Tuesday. It was a game where the Falcons led 46-42 at halftime and were maintaining that four-point lead nearing the midway point of the second half. Raritan went on a 14-1 through the next 3:48 of game time, turning a deficit into a nine-point lead. The Falcons fought back to get things as close as two points with under two minutes to go, but the Lions from Raritan hit the big shots down the stretch to win the game. Lackawanna hit 46% from the floor and knocked down ten three-point shots, but the Falcons went 10-for-21 from the free throw line and committed 14 turnovers.
 
The Falcons average 79.4 points per contest, while giving up 82.1. Lackawanna is shooting 40.2% from the field and 27.1% from downtown. Meanwhile, Lackawanna opponents are hitting 44.9% and 33%, respectively. The Falcons are hitting 64% from the free throw line this year. Lackawanna has a + 1.6 rebounding margin, with 44 boards per game this year. The Falcons have a 0.8 assist/turnover ratio, with 323 assists vs. 382 turnovers. Lackawanna has forced 387 turnovers so far this season, a 16.8 turnovers per game average, and is averaging 9.6 steals per contest.
 
First-year guard Evan Laybourn-Boddie (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging 17.7 points per game this season, 12th in Region XIX and fourth in Division II. He's shooting 37.7% from the floor and 74% from the free throw line. Laybourn-Boddie leads the team with 54 three-point makes, third in all of Region XIX. He has dished out 86 assists (3.9 per game) and leads the Falcons with 55 steals this season. Laybourn-Boddie has scored double-digits 19 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 a season-high with eight rebounds, 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 is averaging 20.2 points per game in his last nine games, scoring 20+ in five games, including his last three games. He set a season-high in three-point makes in his last game, hitting six threes and scoring 24 points in the loss to Raritan Valley earlier this week. Against Middlesex in December, Laybourn-Boddie was held to eight points on just 3-for-13 shooting from the floor.
 
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 12 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 13.8 points per game this season, third on the team. Marabito is shooting 35.7% from the floor, and has made 40 threes, second on the team. Marabito is a 75.9% free throw shooter and averages four rebounds per game this year. Marabito is second on the team with 23 steals and is fourth on the team with 29 assists this season. Marabito has scored in double-figures 14 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 scored 20 points and had three rebounds in the loss to Raritan Valley on Tuesday night. He had 14 points and six rebounds, along with four assists, in the loss to Middlesex in December.
 
Sophomore forward Jireej Cole (Bronx, NY) has four double-doubles in his first seven games this season, all coming in the spring semester. Cole is averaging 10.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. He's shooting 57% from the floor and hitting 62.1% from the free throw line. Cole has scored double-figures in four 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 on January 21^st, 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 Raritan Valley, Cole had 15 points and eleven rebounds in 28 minutes. He did not appear for Lackawanna in the game against Middlesex in December.
 
First-year stretch forward Noah McIntosh (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 8.6 points per contest this year. McIntosh is shooting 42.3% from the floor and averages three rebounds per contest this season. He also has 19 assists, 15 steals, and a team-high 19 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 seven points and had two rebounds in the loss to Raritan on Tuesday. He scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds against Middlesex in December.
 
First-year guard Noah Elias (Silver Spring, MD) is averaging 8.6 points per game through his first seven games of action in the spring semester. Elias is hitting 48.9% from the floor and has knocked down 12 three-pointers at a 42.9% clip from downtown. Elias is averaging 4.4 rebounds per game and has 17 assists through his seven 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 on January 21^st. He scored seven points and had six rebounds in the loss to Raritan earlier this week. Elias was not available for the Falcons against Middlesex earlier this year.
 
Sophomore guard Jasier Carter (North Brunswick, NJ) is averaging 7.2 points per game this season, shooting 51.3% from the floor. Carter averages 4.3 rebounds per game and has 33 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 five 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 January 23^rd. He had 12 points and five rebounds in the loss to Raritan Valley on Tuesday. He had nine points in 19 minutes in the loss at Middlesex in December.
 
First-year forward Tyrick Moy (Williamsport, PA) is averaging 6.2 points per game and six rebounds per game this season, tied for second on the team in rebounding. Moy also has 19 assists and is shooting 45% 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 scored two points in nine minutes, while grabbing three boards, in the loss to Raritan on Tuesday. He had eight points and seven rebounds in the loss to Middlesex back in December.
 
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 19-30 in his career at Lackawanna as head coach.
 
About Middlesex College
The Colts (19-4, 7-2) are the only Region XIX DII team well above .500 on the year overall, and they come into the weekend on a six-game winning streak, with region triumphs over Morris, Mercer, and Essex amongst the victories. In their last game, Middlesex defeated Essex by a narrow 76-74 margin at home. Middlesex had a large lead at the half, but Essex made a furious rally to get things tight in the second half. Essex shot 56.3% for the game and hit nine three-pointers, but Middlesex's 17-point halftime lead was just enough of a cushion to get the Colts over the finish line. Middlesex shot 42.4% from the floor and just 23.5% from downtown.
 
Middlesex is averaging 81 points per game this season, shooting 44.7% from the floor, and hitting 30.7% from the three-point line. The Colts are holding their opponents to 67.3 points per game this season, shooting 40.3% and 30.7% from the field and downtown, respectively. Middlesex is dominant on the boards, outrebounding their opponents by +16.2 rebounds per game, averaging 43.3 boards per contest as a team. The Colts are averaging 18.4 assists per contest, while turning the ball over 13.6 times per game. The Colts average just under eight steals per game and are blocking five shots per game this year.
 
Sophomore guard Sean Williams is averaging a team-best 19.1 points per game this season, ninth in all of Region XIX and second in Division II. Williams is shooting 45.5% from the floor and hitting 34% from the three-point line, while also hitting 79.7% from the free throw line. Williams has 51 three-point makes, fourth in all of Region XIX. He is averaging 2.9 rebounds per game and leads the team at 4.4 assists per game. He also averages a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Williams has scored double-figures in 20 games this season, including his last eight games. He scored a season-high 30 points on 10-for-19 shooting, making a season-best six three-point shots in a win against Queensborough CC on January 11^th. He set a season-high with eleven rebounds against Nassau on January 18^th, also scoring 22 points and posting four assists in the win. He scored 14 points and had a season-high seven steals in the win against Morris on November 19^th. In the loss to Mercer on November 26^th, Williams had a double-double, scoring 24 points and dishing out eleven assists. He has two double-doubles this year. Against Lackawanna in December, he had 20 points and six assists in the win. He had 26 points on 10-for-19 shooting in the win against Essex and is averaging 22.5 points per contest in his last eight games.
 
Sophomore forward Tristin Harcourt is second on the team, averaging 14.4 points per game this season. Harcourt is shooting 44.5% from the floor and hitting 66.4% from the free throw line. Harcourt leads the Colts with 10.9 rebounds per game, tops in Division II and fourth in all of Region XIX. He averages 2.3 assists per game, third on the squad, while also putting up 2.5 blocks per game and 1.4 steals per contest. He has gone for double-figures in scoring 17 times this season, setting a season-high with 26 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in the win against Mercer County CC on January 21^st. Harcourt has hit for double-digits in rebounds 15 times on the year, producing 12 double-doubles on the year. He has twice gone for a season-high 18 rebounds, pulling down 18 boards and dishing out a season-best eight assists against Westchester on November 23^rd, then going for 25 points and 18 rebounds in the win against Lackawanna in December. He has hit a season-high five blocks in four separate games this year. Against Essex, he scored 12 points, had eleven rebounds, and dished out five assists in the win on Tuesday.
 
Sophomore forward Alfeny Javier Concepcion is averaging 11.9 points per game, third on the team. He's shooting 56.2% from the floor and 76.5% on the free throw line. Concepcion is third on the team at 7.7 rebounds per game and averages just over one block per game. He also averages 1.3 assists per game and is just under a steal per contest. Concepcion has 12 games in double-figure scoring this year, twice hitting his season-best 20 points. On November 17^th, Concepcion had 20 points on 9-for-10 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out a pair of assists. The next game against Morris, he had 20 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in a win for the Colts. He has six double-doubles this season, getting his season-high 14 rebounds in two games against Monroe JV and Kingsborough CC. Concepcion scored 14 points and had eight rebounds in the win against Lackawanna back in December. Against Essex on Tuesday, he had 18 points and ten rebounds in the win. It was his first game back after missing five straight contests.
 
Sophomore guard Anthony Williams is fourth on the team at 10.7 points per game, shooting 60.2% from the floor and hitting 76.9% from the free throw line. He's second on the team at 9.4 rebounds per game and is just under a steal per contest, while averaging just over one assist per game this season. Williams has eleven games in double-figures scoring this season, setting his season-high in points (26), along with 13 rebounds, in the loss to Mercer on November 26^th. It was one of seven double-doubles for Williams this year. His season-high 14 rebounds came in a win against Morris on January 14^th, where he also had 12 points. Against the Falcons in December, he had 18 points, ten rebounds, and four assists. He did not play in the last game on Tuesday for Middlesex against Essex.
 
The head coach for Middlesex is Winston Smith, now in his third season at the helm of the Colts. Smith has 20 years of experience as an assistant basketball coach at multiple NCAA Division I schools, including spending the prior five seasons with Wagner College before getting hired at Middlesex in 2022. Wagner was a two-time regular season champion in the NEC in Smith's time there, and he also spent time at Farleigh Dickinson and Drexel. Smith was an All-State player at St. Patrick's in Elizabeth, NJ, playing with former NBA player Al Harrington and current Seton Hall MBB head coach Shaheen Holloway. Smith was a top 50 national recruit and committed to play for John Calipari at UMass. Smith attended UMass despite Calipari leaving for the NBA, playing for four seasons for the Minutemen and participating in two NCAA tournaments and an NIT in his time with UMass. Smith is 53-29 in his time at Middlesex.
 
The Match-Ups
Middlesex beat Lackawanna, 95-65, earlier this season in Edison, NJ. The Colts and the Falcons split both their meetings last season, which was Middlesex's first year in Division II.
 
Saturday's game continues an important stretch for Lackawanna that could decide its fate for the Region XIX Division II playoffs. Here are the DII standings heading into Saturday:
 
1 – Middlesex (19-4, 7-2)
2 – Raritan Valley (13-11, 7-2)
3 – County College of Morris (10-12, 6-4)
4 – Lackawanna College (11-12, 4-5)
5 – Mercer County CC (7-11, 3-5)
6 – Essex County College (7-15, 3-6)
7 – Delaware Tech CC (7-17, 2-8)
 
#2 Raritan, #3 Morris, and #7 Delaware Tech are all playing non-region games on Saturday, so the only two Region XIX DII games are #1 Middlesex at #4 Lackawanna and #5 Mercer County CC at #6 Essex County College. As things stand right now, Lackawanna College, by virtue of being the four-seed, would make the Region XIX DII Final Four, happening February 27^th at the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium in Scranton. However, the Lackawanna hold on fourth place is tenuous, as either Mercer or Essex can go on a winning streak and steal the playoff berth. Lackawanna owns the tiebreaker over Essex, so Essex would need to finish with a better Region XIX record, outright, to get the four-seed. Mercer, which lost to Lackawanna earlier this season, has one more game left against the Falcons. Meanwhile, at the top, Middlesex has the top-seed by virtue of its superior overall record. #2 Raritan Valley beat the Colts earlier this year and can earn the tiebreaker with a win at Middlesex next week. #3 Morris would need to win out and hope for some chaos ahead of it to hop into either of the top two spots.
 
Tip-off on Saturday is scheduled for 3:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. 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 has another Region XIX DII home game in its next contest on Tuesday, February 4^th, when the Falcons are set to host Mercer County CC. Start time is 7:00pm 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 5:00pm ET.