Box Score 11/8/25
 
SYRACUSE, NY – David Popson scored a game-high 23 points and Lackawanna College men's basketball defeated Jefferson CC, 91-74, in the first game of the Lazer Tip-Off Classic at SUNY Onondaga on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Falcons (2-1) leaned on Popson (Wilkes-Barre, PA), while also getting 17 points from Noah Elias (Silver Spring, MD) and 15 points from Latrell Mark (Frederick, MD). The Cannoneers (0-2) had three players in double-figures.
 
Through the first five minutes, both teams were hitting on all cylinders, with the Falcons leading 19-16. Elias sank a pair of three-pointers, while Popson had five points, Mark scored a body-twisting lay-up, and Matthew Nora (Houston, TX) converted a fast-break lay-up. The Falcons continued to try to push the pace, getting up 23-16 when Mark stole a pass and lobbed up to Nora who threw it down with two hands on the rush. Noah McIntosh (Philadelphia, PA) stole a ball and scored on the lay-up to make it 25-16, and Mark stole another pass, then slammed home the alley-oop from Elias to make it 27-16, Falcons, forcing a timeout with 12:37 to play in the first half.
 
Later, the Falcons got up 39-23, with under seven to play in the half. Jefferson scored, but Khalil Kemp (Philadelphia, PA) scored a fast-break lay-up and got fouled, Popson grabbed the offensive board, and Elias scored on a great feed from Xavier Spears (Brooklyn, NY) to make it 43-25, Falcons, with just over six minutes to go. The lead went to 45-25 with just under five to play, but Jefferson got it as close as 48-39 with under a minute to go, before Nora tip-slammed just before the horn to make it 50-39 at the break.
 
It was 56-44 about four minutes into the second half when Popson secured a big offensive rebound and put-back, getting fouled in the process. Popson sank the free throw, then Elias scored on the next possession to make it 61-44.
 
With under 5:30 to go, Jefferson had it at 69-57, but Elias splashed another three to put the Falcons up 15, and that seemed to take the wind out of the sails for the Cannoneers. Elias later scored a fast-break lay-up to make it 84-67, then McIntosh slammed home an alley-up with under four to play to put the margin up to 19. Jefferson would never get closer than 14 the rest of the way.
 
Lackawanna College will take on SUNY Onondaga CC in its next game on Sunday, November 9^th. Tip-off is set for 5:00pm ET inside the SRC Arena and Events Center in Syracuse, NY.