12/16/25

SCRANTON, Pa. – A shooting slump that lasted from the first quarter into the third quarter kept Lackawanna College women's basketball from seriously challenging Essex County College in a 61-48 loss for the Falcons in NJCAA Region XIX Division II play on Tuesday night inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium.
 
The Falcons (4-9, 2-6) led 10-5 through the first four minutes, flying high early, but settled into a slow, painful crawl from there, as the visiting Wolverines (8-3, 5-2) slowly rallied and began to put distance between themselves and the Falcons. Lackawanna went the remaining six minutes of the first, and the entire second quarter, without scoring from open play, instead hitting free throws, and saw its promising start fizzle into a 27-17 halftime deficit.
 
The Falcon defense, which forced 22 turnovers and held Essex to 32% from the floor, kept Lackawanna within striking distance, but it wouldn't be until two minutes into the third that Lackawanna finally made a shot from the floor. By then, it was too little, too late, as the Wolverines built a lead that ballooned by as much as 23 in the fourth quarter.
 
To Lackawanna's credit, the home side never gave in, outscoring Essex 20-13 in the final quarter and getting it to the 13-point margin. Sophia Summa (Dunmore, PA) scored a game-high 18 points, while also pulling down eight rebounds, while Ali Johns (North Wales, PA) finished with a double-double, scoring 12 and grabbing 15 boards. Canyah Randle (Scranton, PA) had nine rebounds in her Lackawanna debut. The Falcons shot just 26% from the floor, going 3-for-18 from three-point range and committing 25 turnovers.
 
Essex had two players in double-figures, getting 17 points and four rebounds from Essence Cushionberry and 16 points from Gabriella Brown. Mia-Marie Thomas had eight points and six assists, while Natalie Fonseca pulled down a team-best ten boards. The Wolverines shot 32% from the floor and outscore the Falcons 24-6 in points off turnovers.
 
Lackawanna College ends the fall semester on a six-game skid and won't be in action again until Sunday, January 11^th, when they are scheduled to host the Monroe CC Tribunes in the second game of a doubleheader in Scranton. Tip is set for 3:00pm ET, with the men's teams starting at 1:00pm ET, inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium.