2/11/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College men's basketball has one more crucial regular season Region XIX DII contest left, as the Falcons are set to host the County College of Morris on Tuesday, February 11^th, in the Electric City.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium in Scranton. The game is open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for both adults ($5) and students ($3). Anyone attending with a Lackawanna College ID will gain free entry. There will be a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
This is the second meeting between Lackawanna and Morris this season, with Morris owning a 109-84 win over the Falcons back on December 17^th in Randolph, NJ. That was a game the Falcons led in the first half, but a killer run from the hot-shooting Titans turned the game around. Lackawanna fought, but could never truly get closer than eight points. Morris shot 56.7% from the field and hit eleven three-pointers, while sinking 22-of-26 free throws and scoring 109 total points on the night. Lackawanna shot 35% from the floor, but had 21 turnovers. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (14-12, 6-5) come into the weekend as winners of three straight games, surviving a road contest at SUNY Rockland CC this past Saturday, 69-66. That game saw Lackawanna use some late defensive heroics to survive the comeback attempt from Rockland. The Falcons shot 42.4% from the floor, but were just 6-for-24 from downtown, and were a miserable 7-for-24 from the free throw line. You can read the recap HERE.
 
The Falcons average 80.2 points per contest, while giving up 81.4. Lackawanna is shooting 41.1% from the field and 28.5% from downtown, steadily improving as the year winds down. Meanwhile, Lackawanna opponents are hitting 44.5% and 29.7%, respectively. The Falcons are hitting 62.8% from the free throw line this year. Lackawanna has a + 1.7 rebounding margin, with 43.7 boards per game this year. The Falcons have a 0.9 assist/turnover ratio, with 375 assists vs. 431 turnovers. Lackawanna has forced 424 turnovers so far this season, a 16.3 turnovers per game average, and is averaging 9.5 steals per contest.
 
First-year guard Evan Laybourn-Boddie (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging 18 points per game this season, 12th in Region XIX and fourth in Division II. He's shooting 39.5% from the floor and 72.4% from the free throw line. Laybourn-Boddie leads the team with 65 three-point makes, tied for second in all of Region XIX. He has dished out 105 assists (4.2 per game, tied for fourth in Region XIX) and leads the Falcons with 62 steals (2.5 per game) this season. Laybourn-Boddie has scored double-digits 21 times this season, putting up a season-and-career-high 35 points last Tuesday against Mercer County CC. Against the Vikings, ELB made a season-high 12 shots, including eight three-pointers, while dishing out seven assists in the victory. 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 on January 21^st, scoring 25 points and going 11-for-14 on the charity stripe in the loss. Laybourn-Boddie is averaging 22.3 points per game in his last six games, scoring 20+ in four of those contests. He's shooting 48.5% from the floor in that span, while knocking down 20 three-pointers and averaging 5.7 assists per contest. He scored nine points and dished out eight assists in the win at Rockland this weekend. Evan had 18 points and four assists in the loss to Morris 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 14 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 14.1 points per game this season, third on the team. Marabito is shooting 36.7% from the floor, and has made 47 threes, second on the team. Marabito is a 74.6% free throw shooter and averages four rebounds per game this year. Marabito is second on the team with 27 steals and is third on the team with 38 assists this season. Marabito has scored in double-figures 17 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 is averaging 17 points per game in his last four contests, shooting at 40.4% and averaging four rebounds per game. He scored 18 points and had five rebounds, while knocking down three three-pointers in the win against Rockland on Saturday. He had eight points and three rebounds in the loss to Morris back in December.
 
Sophomore forward Jireej Cole (Bronx, NY) has seven double-doubles in his first ten games this season, all coming in the spring semester. Cole is averaging 10.4 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game. He's shooting 60.6% from the floor and hitting 52% from the free throw line. Cole has scored double-figures in seven 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. Cole has recorded a double-double four games in a row. He had ten points and 13 rebounds in the win at Rockland on the weekend. He did not play against Morris in December.
 
First-year guard Noah Elias (Silver Spring, MD) is averaging 10.2 points per game through his first ten games of action in the spring semester. Elias is hitting 52.8% from the floor and has knocked down 20 three-pointers at a 47.6% clip from downtown. Elias is averaging 4.1 rebounds per game and has 20 assists through his ten 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 has five games where he has scored in double-figures for the Falcons, including his last three contests. In that three-game span, Elias is averaging 14 points per game and shooting 60% from the floor, while hitting 57% of his three-point shots. Elias had eleven points and a pair of rebounds against Rockland this past weekend. He did not play for the Falcons against Morris in December.
 
First-year stretch forward Noah McIntosh (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 7.9 points per contest this year. McIntosh is shooting 41.2% from the floor and averages three rebounds per contest this season. He also has 21 assists, 17 steals, and a team-high 21 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 was held scoreless and had a pair of rebounds and a block against Rockland this past weekend. He scored five points in the loss to Morris in December.
 
Sophomore guard Jasier Carter (North Brunswick, NJ) is averaging seven points per game this season, shooting 52.4% from the floor. Carter averages 4.2 rebounds per game and has 37 assists, fourth on the team, and 19 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 six 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. Carter scored ten points on 5-for-6 shooting and had six rebounds in the win against Rockland this past weekend.
 
First-year forward Tyrick Moy (Williamsport, PA) is averaging 5.7 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game this season, third on the team. Moy shoots 44.2% from the floor and has 22 assists this season. Moy has scored double-figures four times this year, 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 one point and had three rebounds in the win against Rockland this weekend. He scored ten points and had nine rebounds in the loss at Morris 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 22-30 in his career at Lackawanna as head coach.
 
About County College of Morris
The Titans (10-13, 6-4) currently sit in third place in the Region XIX DII standings, a half a game ahead of the Falcons. Morris has struggled of late, losing three of their last four games, with its lone win coming against Delaware Tech in a one-point victory on the road back on January 25^th. The Titans fell in their latest game, a ten-point loss at Chesapeake, back on February 1^st. The Titans were down 41-29 at the break, but managed to score 44 points in the second half in a better offensive showing. Unfortunately for Morris, the Skipjacks shot 48% for the game and hit 12 three-pointers in the win.
 
On the year, Morris is averaging 79.7 points per game, while giving up 80.3 points per contest. The Titans are shooting 44% from the field and hitting 30.2% from downtown, while hitting 71.5% from the free throw line. Their opponents are shooting 44.6% from the floor and are averaging 35.1% from the three-point line. The Titans are -7.8 in rebounding margin, averaging 28.4 rebounds per game on the year. Morris is forcing 20 turnovers per game on the year, while only turning it over 11.4 times per game. The Titans average just over ten steals per game and are rejecting four shots per game.
 
Sophomore guard Jagger Ruiz leads the Titans at 17.2 points per game this season, 16^th in the whole region and seventh in Division II. Ruiz is shooting 51.5% from the floor this season and is a deadly 35.6% shooter from downtown. He's also an accurate 85.7% shooter from the free throw line, second in all of Region XIX. Ruiz is averaging 3.4 rebounds per game, third on the team, and leads the squad with 4.3 assists per game. He also leads the team with 2.7 steals per contest this year. Ruiz has 15 games in double-figures scoring this season, going over 20 points eight times this season. His best came in an 89-88 loss to Macomb CC on November 24^th, scoring a season-high 35 points on 9-for-19 shooting and making 13-of-14 free throws. He made a season-high eleven shots and scored 32 points against Lackawanna, knocking down four three-pointers in the win. He also set a season-high with ten assists against the Falcons. Ruiz set his season-high with seven rebounds in the win at Delaware Tech, where he scored 14 points. He has eight games with five or more assists, and he set his season-best with six steals in the loss to Cecil College on November 16^th.
 
First-year forward U-Tyci Brown is second on the team at 12.1 points per game, shooting 47.9% from the floor and 30.4% from downtown. He's also hitting 73.2% from the free throw line. Brown leads the Titans with 6.9 rebounds per game this season, while dishing out 2.4 assists per game. He's second on the team at 2.5 steals per game this season and is at just over a block per contest. Brown has scored double-figures 12 times this season, scoring his season-best 26 points in the season-opener against Cape Fear. He made nine shots and was 7-for-7 from the free throw line, while pulling down eleven rebounds for a double-double. Brown has five double-doubles this season and scored 16 points and had a season-best 14 rebounds in the win against Raritan Valley on December 5^th. He had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and a season-high six steals in the win against Mercer County CC on December 19^th. Brown had a great all-around game against the Falcons last semester, scoring 16 points, grabbing nine rebounds, blocking five shots, and compiling five assists in the win for Morris.
 
Sophomore forward Kymani Dunbar is second on the team at 10.7 points per game this season, shooting 47.8% from the field and hitting around 62.7% from the free throw line. Dunbar averages 4.2 rebounds per game, second on the team. He's just under two assists and two steals per game this year. Dunbar has scored double-figures nine times this season, twice going over 20 points. He had a season-high 27 points on 10-for-18 shooting in the win against Cape Fear CC to open the season on November 8^th. He had 22 points and seven rebounds in the loss to Middlesex on November 19^th. Had scored 18 points and put up a season-high nine rebounds in the win against Delaware Tech on December 7^th. He scored five points, posted five boards, and dished out five assists in the win against Lackawanna in December.
 
Sophomore guard Osagie Osaruese is fourth on the team at 10.1 points per game this season, shooting 50% from the floor this year. Osaruese is averaging 64.4% from the free throw line and is averaging 2.6 rebounds per game this season. He has scored double-figures eight times this season, dropping a season-high 28 points against Westchester back on January 30^th. He was 12-for-16 from the floor and set season-highs in rebounds (7) and assists (6) in the loss to the Vikings. Osaruese had 27 points in the win against Raritan Valley on December 5^th, where he made eight shots and was 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Osaruese scored seven points and had a pair of rebounds in the win against Lackawanna in December.
 
The head coach for the Titans is Anthony Obery, who has been the man in charge since taking over on an interim basis in 2016. Obery is in his ninth season as the head coach, and eleventh season overall with the program at Morris. Obery was an assistant for a season-and-a-half before taking over halfway through the 2015-2016 campaign. He took a 1-11 team and finished with four wins in the second half of the year. Obery had a great year in the 2018-2019 season, taking the Titans to a Region XIX championship and a district game with a 23-5 record. Last year was the most successful in his time at Morris, going 22-8, winning a district championship game to qualify for the national tournament as the #19 seed, and winning a consolation game against Howard CC. Obery is a Mercer County CC graduate, where he played for the Vikings during their NJCAA National Championship game run in the 2009-2010 season. Obery went on to play at Felician University, where he played for two more years and graduated with a degree in criminal justice. Obery is a full-time police officer in the Roselle Police Department, as well as a pastor with the New Bethel Baptist Church. He became a Bishop within the New Bethel Baptist Church in December 2022. He is 123-95 in his time at Morris.
 
The Match-Ups
This is the second match-up between the two sides, with the first going to Morris in a 109-84 win in New Jersey back in December. Morris is 5-2 against Lackawanna since the 2021-2022 season winning both games last season, including an impressive 82-65 win in Scranton in December 2023. The Titans are 2-1 in that span against Lackawanna in Scranton.
 
Heading into Tuesday night's game, here is where the Region XIX Division II standings sit, plus the remaining games for each team:
 
1 – Raritan Valley CC (14-12, 8-2); Remaining: vs. Montgomery (MD), at Sullivan, vs. Mercer*, at Essex*
2 – Middlesex College (19-6, 7-4); Remaining: vs. DTCC*, vs. Chesapeake, at Montco, at Harcum
3 – County College of Morris (10-13, 6-4); Remaining: at Lackawanna*, vs. Northampton, at Mercer*
4 – Lackawanna College (14-12, 6-5); Remaining: vs. Morris*, at Sussex, vs. Westchester, at Monroe
 
As things stand, Raritan Valley would be the top-seed and would face Lackawanna on Thursday, February 27^th, in the Region XIX DII semi-finals in Scranton at the Lackawanna College Student Union. The other semi-final game would be two-seed Middlesex against three-seed Morris, also at Lackawanna on 2/27. There is, however, still some wiggle room for some teams.
 
Raritan Valley CC looks to be locked into the top spot, thanks to winning both contests against Middlesex during the regular season. So, even if Middlesex wins its final game against Delaware Tech in region play and Raritan stumbles in its two remaining region contests, Raritan holds the tiebreaker. Middlesex could still drop to no-worse than third place with a loss to Delaware Tech. A win should guarantee the Colts the second spot. Morris could slide into second place if the Titans win their remaining two region contests and Middlesex loses to Del Tech.
 
Lackawanna could potentially steal the third spot from Morris if the Falcons knock off the Titans on Tuesday night. A win would mean Lackawanna would finish region play at 7-5, and that Morris can only tie the Falcons. Assuming a Lackawanna win, that means that both teams split the regular season, so the tiebreaker then becomes overall record, where Lackawanna will have the edge. A loss for Lackawanna will lock the Falcons into the fourth seed.
 
Tip-off between Morris and Lackawanna on Tuesday is scheduled for 6:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium in Scranton. The game is open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for both adults ($5) and students ($3). Anyone attending with a Lackawanna College ID will gain free entry. There will be a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. It's the only Region XIX DII contest being played on the evening.
 
Lackawanna College still has three non-region contests remaining in the regular season after Tuesday night. The Falcons will next travel to take on Division III opponent Sussex County CC on Thursday, February 13^th. Tip-off is set for 6:00pm ET inside the Sussex County CC gymnasium in Newton, NJ. Lackawanna College beat Sussex, 95-81, earlier this season in Scranton.