2/27/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna women's basketball is ready to host the Region XIX Division II Championships this weekend, starting with the semifinal round on Thursday, February 27^th, in the Electric City.
 
The Region XIX women's and men's Division II tournament semifinals and finals will be held inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, with three games happening on Thursday and the two championships scheduled for Saturday, March 1^st.
 
Due to unforeseen circumstances affecting the Mercer County CC women's basketball program, the first semifinal on Thursday, which was set to pit the fifth-seed Vikings against the top-seed and #6 Union College, has been canceled. Union College will advance to the Region XIX DII championship on Saturday, March 1^st. They will face the winner of the other semifinal, which will see second-seed and #14 Harcum College play the hosts, third-seeded Lackawanna College, at 3:00pm ET.
 
The men's semifinals will follow at 5:00pm and 7:00pm, respectively.
 
On Saturday, March 1^st, the women's championship game will be held at 1:00pm ET, while the men's final will follow at 3:00pm ET.
 
The tournament will decide the Region XIX DII champ and put the winner one step closer to a national tournament berth. The region champion will move on as the region representative in next week's East District championship contest. Only the region champion in both women's and men's basketball will advance.
 
The events on Thursday are open to the public and will have tickets sold at the door at a flat rate of $5 per person, which will be good for the entire day's games. Anyone with a valid Lackawanna College ID will gain free entry to the event. There is also a paid video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. It's a $9.95 cost to gain access to all four games for the day on Thursday. Steve Young and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the broadcasting duties.
 
On the year, Lackawanna is 1-1 against Harcum and 0-2 against Union College.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (17-7) won four of their final five games to close out the year, winning four straight games in region play before falling 69-51 on the road at Division I Monroe last Wednesday evening in non-region action. Lackawanna trailed by six in that contest heading into halftime, but was just 2-for-18 from the floor in the third, getting outscored 17-5 by the Mustangs. The deficit became too large, and the Falcons wouldn't recover. Lackawanna shot 30% from the floor and 26% from downtown. The Falcons committed 20 turnovers, which turned into 21 Monroe points, and they were outrebounded 43-31.
 
This season, the Falcons are averaging 71.6 points per game, while giving up 69 points per game against. Lackawanna is shooting 35% from the floor this season, while hitting 21.7% from three-point range. The Falcons have struggled from the free throw line this season, shooting 59.6% from the line. Lackawanna's opponents are shooting 36.3% from the floor and have hit 28.5% of their three-point shots. Lackawanna has a +5.8 rebounding margin, averaging 49.3 boards per game. The Falcons are averaging 21.4 turnovers per game, while forcing 20 per game this year. Lackawanna averages 12 steals per contest, while its opponents average 10.8 swipes per game. Lackawanna is averaging 4.9 blocks per game.
 

Projected Starters	GP (GS)	PPG	FG%	3PT%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG
1 - E'ternity Aiken (F, So.)	18 (6)	8.8	50.9	25.0	64.5	7.1	1.3	1.3
10 - Salote Franklin (F, So.)	24 (24)	16.7	46.2	29.3	66.7	12.7	2.5	2.3
11 - Desiree White (G, So.)	19 (16)	11.9	29.5	23.0	66.7	3.3	0.9	1.3
12 - Saraiah Franklin (F, So.)	24 (24)	8.1	38.8	27.5	66.7	8.2	2.5	1.3
22 - Jayla South (G, So.)	24 (22)	11.9	33.2	18.3	49.5	5.9	2.5	1.8

 
Sophomore forward Salote Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) leads the team with 16.7 points per game this season, eighth in the region and third in DII. Salote is shooting 46.2% from the floor and averages a team-high 12.7 rebounds per game, first in DII. Franklin is a 66.7% free throw shooter, tied for first on the team, and leads the Falcons both in attempts (114) and makes (76). She has also hit 17 three-pointers this season. Franklin has 54 steals, tied for first on the team, and leads the Falcons with 41 blocks this year. Salote is also tied for third on the team with 59 assists this season. She had 30 points in the season-opening victory against CCBC Catonsville back on November 1^st, shooting 13-for-21 from the floor, while pulling down eight rebounds. She set a season-high for rebounds with 23 boards and 28 points in the win against Salem back on December 14^th. Salote was 15-for-16 from the free throw line in the contest, going 8-for-8 in the fourth quarter alone, to help secure the win. Salote has scored double-figures in 22 games this year and has 16 double-doubles on the year. She set a season-high with eight assists in the win against Essex on November 19^th, where she also had 14 points and ten boards. Franklin set her season-high in steals in the win against Orange on January 23^rd, securing seven steals, while also putting up 22 points and 20 rebounds. Salote had 16 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Monroe last week. Against Harcum this season, she has scored a combined 17 points and posted 24 rebounds in two games. She had 13 points and eleven rebounds in the win at home in November against the Bears, but scored just six points and had 13 rebounds in the loss at Harcum a month ago.
 
Sophomore guard Jayla South (Long Pond, PA) is second on the team with 11.9 points per game this season. South is shooting 33.2% and has made 19 three-point shots, second on the team this season. She averages 5.9 rebounds per game, fourth on the team, and has 61 assists, second on the squad, along with 44 steals and 26 blocks this season. South has scored double-figures in 17 games this season, scoring her season and career-high with 42 points against Essex on November 19^th, making 15 shots and hitting six three-pointers in the win, while also pulling down eight rebounds and a posting a season-high five steals. She also had seven assists in the contest. Jayla set a season-high for rebounds with 13 boards, while scoring ten points in the win against Essex back on January 14^th. Jayla had just four points, but set her season-best with eight assists in the win against Mercer on February 4^th. South is averaging 11.9 points per game in her last seven games, scoring double-figures in five of those contests. She had 13 points and six rebounds in the loss at Monroe last week. In two games against Harcum, South has a combined 19 points and eight rebounds. She had 12 and four in the win at home against Harcum in November, then scored seven in the loss on the road last month.
 
Sophomore guard Desiree White (Carlisle, PA) is third on the team with 11.9 points per game through her 19 appearances, missing five games due to injury earlier this year. White has hit 29 three-point shots, first on the team, and is shooting 29.5% from the floor. White averages 3.3 rebounds a game and has 24 steals. Desi has hit double-figures ten times this year, scoring her season-high against Herkimer on January 11^th, posting 28 points on a season-best ten makes. She hit three three-pointers, made five free throws, and had a pair of assists and a pair of rebounds in the win against Herkimer. Against Catonsville, she had 13 points and four boards. She had 20 points against Mercer on December 10^th, hitting seven shots and knocking down three three-point shots. Her previous season-high was 26 points on 8-for-18 shooting and a season-high four made three-pointers in the loss to Montgomery on November 12^th. Desi had scored in double-figures in seven of nine games in the new year, but hasn't topped ten points in her last two games. She was held scoreless in 22 minutes, going 0-for-10 from the floor in the loss to Monroe last week. Desi missed the home win against Harcum with an injury. She had six points and three rebounds in the loss to the Bears last month.
 
First-year guard Ania Crocker (Freeport, NY) is averaging 9.5 points per game this season and is shooting 33.2% from the floor. Crocker averages 4.9 rebounds per game and has 65 assists, first on the team. She is also tied for first on the team with 54 steals. Crocker scored her season-high against Jamestown on November 16^th, exploding for 28 points and a season-best 13 rebounds in the win. Crocker went 13-for-23 from the floor in the win. She set a season-high with seven steals against Richard Bland College on November 2^nd, where she also had five assists. Crocker scored 26 points, grabbed five rebounds, and posted four steals in the win against Essex on November 19^th. Crocker has ten games in double-digit points this season. Ania scored seven points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out a season-high eight assists in the win against Raritan on January 28^th. Crocker had five points and four rebounds, along with two assists and three steals, in the loss to Monroe last Wednesday. She scored a combined 17 points and pulled down eleven boards in two games against Harcum this season. Crocker had 15 points, nine rebounds, and three steals in the win against the Bears in November, but was held to just two points on 1-for-11 shooting in the loss at Harcum back in January.
 
Sophomore forward E'ternity Aiken (Wilkes-Barre, PA) is averaging 8.8 points per game through her 18 contests this year. Aiken missed six games due to injury earlier this season. She is shooting 50.9% from the floor and averages 7.1 rebounds per game, third on the team. She also has 23 steals. Aiken had 15 points and eleven boards in the win against Richard Bland College, her first of four double-doubles of the season. She also had four steals and a pair of assists. Her second double-double came against Harcum on January 25^th, putting up 13 points and grabbing ten rebounds in the loss. Aiken had a career-best game against Raritan on January 28^th, scoring a season-high 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting and pulling down a season-high 13 rebounds in the win against the Lions. She had 18 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks in the win against Mercer on February 4^th. In her last six games, E'ternity is averaging 16 points per game, while pulling down 8.7 rebounds per contest and shooting a sizzling 61.9% from the floor. E'ternity scored ten points and had four rebounds and four blocks against Monroe last week. E'ternity did not play in the home win against Harcum back in November.
 
Sophomore forward Saraiah Franklin (Philadelphia, PA) is averaging 8.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game through her 24 appearances. Franklin is shooting 38.8% from the floor and has 59 assists on the year, tied with Salote for third on the team. She's a 66.7% free throw shooter this season, and she has 32 steals and 17 blocks. Saraiah had one of her best games of the year against Essex in November, scoring 14 points and setting a season-high in assists (5), along with matching her season-high in steals (3) and grabbing 12 rebounds. Against Harcum on November 21^st, she had a season-best 23 points, scoring 13 in the fourth alone, while going 8-for-9 from the free throw line and pulling down eleven rebounds. Saraiah set her season-high in rebounds with 16 boards against Herkimer, where she also put up 13 points and had four assists in the win. Saraiah has three double-doubles on the season and has hit double-figures in scoring in ten games this season. Saraiah had four points and matched her season-best with 16 boards, to go with four assists, in the win against Mercer County CC on February 4^th. She scored seven points and had six rebounds in the loss to Monroe last week. She got ten points, five rebounds, and two assists in the loss at Harcum last month.
 
Head coach Monica Spence is in her third season at the helm of the Falcons. Spence spent a year as an assistant before taking over the program in 2022. Before her time at Lackawanna, Spence spent time coaching at youth levels and in semi-professional men's basketball. Spence is a Wilkes-Barre native, who played her high school basketball locally at Wilkes-Barre GAR. Spence is 38-32 in her time as the head coach for the Falcons.
 
About #14 Harcum College
The Bears (23-5) are the hottest team in the region entering this weekend, having won nine straight games. The last loss for Harcum came against Raritan Valley CC back on January 21^st. They've rattled off nine in a row since then, which includes a blowout win over Lackawanna and an upset victory at home against Union College, which was Union's first region loss of the season. Harcum won its final three games by an average margin of 47 points. In the Bears' last game, they beat Allegany College of Maryland by an 80-30 scoreline, taking a 45-16 lead at halftime and holding the Trojans to single-digits scoring in three of four quarters. The Bears shot 39% from the floor, but they took 31 more shots than ACM, forcing 38 turnovers on the day.
 
Harcum is averaging 80.9 points per game this season, shooting 42.6% from the floor and making 28% from downtown. The Bears are giving up 50.1 points per game on the year, while their opponents are shooting 30.6% from the floor and 23.1% from the three-point line. The Bears have a +12.5 rebounding margin, pulling down 43.2 rebounds per contest this season. The Bears average 17.2 steals per game, and are at 19.3 assists per game this year, while turning it over an average of 20.6 times per contest. They force 19 turnovers per game, and block 3.3 shots per contest.
 
This year, the Bears are 1-1 against Lackawanna and 1-1 against Union.
 

Projected Starters	GP (GS)	PPG	FG%	3PT%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG
0 - Jordyn Cooper-Best (G, So.)	28 (22)	5.0	46.6	17.4	44.8	3.8	2.5	2.5
1 - Sophia Vitucci (G, FY)	24 (15)	10.6	46.3	38.7	73.3	5.8	3.2	2.2
4 - Bryce Harvey-Carr (G, So.)	26 (20)	8.6	33.6	23.3	73.9	3.3	3.2	2.3
23 - Kelsey Bess (F, So.)	21 (19)	11.6	35.2	31.1	78.5	4.0	2.7	2.4
31 - Amber Bullard (C, So.)	23 (21)	15.3	68.1	0.0	55.1	8.3	0.5	0.7

 
Sophomore center Amber Bullard leads the Bears at 15.3 points per game this season, shooting around 68% from the floor. Bullard also leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game, and blocks just under two shots per contest. Amber has played in 23 games this season, missing five games in a week's span of November, including the Lackawanna game on the 21^st. Bullard has hit double-figures in scoring in 18 games this season, scoring a season-best 28 points in the win against Middlesex on January 30^th, going 13-for-21 from the floor and grabbing 12 rebounds in the victory. On the year, she's grabbed ten or more rebounds in seven games, snagging her season-best 13 rebounds in three games. She had 22 points (on 10-for-11 shooting) and 13 rebounds in the season-opener against Bryant & Stratton Syracuse back on November 4^th, then had 22 and 13 in the win against Delaware Tech on December 7^th. She posted 16 points and 13 boards against DTCC back on February 1^st. She had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and a season-best four blocks in the win against Salem on January 14^th. She has seven double-doubles on the year. Bullard scored just six points and had six rebounds in the win against ACM this past Saturday. She had ten points and two rebounds in the win at home against Lackawanna in January. Bullard had a combined 20 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks in two games against Union this season. She had 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting and five rebounds in the win against the Owls two weeks ago.
 
Sophomore forward Kelsey Bess is second on the team at 11.6 points per game this year, shooting 35.2% from the floor and making 32 three-point shots this year, third on the team. Kelsey is second on the team in free throw shooting this year, hitting at a 78.5% clip. Bess averages four rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game this season. Bess has scored in double-figures 15 times this season, with her season-best 21 points coming in the win against Mesa CC on November 16^th. She was 9-for-12 from the free throw line and had five rebounds in the win. Bess has one double-double this year, going for her season-high ten rebounds and 15 points in the loss to CCBC Essex on November 16^th. Bess had season-highs in assists (7) and steals (6) against Bryant & Stratton to open the year on November 4^th. Bess did not play against the Allegany College of Maryland. She had just five points in 23 minutes in the win against Middlesex on February 20^th. She has scored a combined 34 points in two games against the Falcons this year. She had 18 points, six steals, and five rebounds in the loss in November. She followed that up with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the win at home last month. Bess had a combined 30 points, eleven rebounds, five assists, and four steals in two games against Union this year. She had 20 points and six rebounds in the win two weeks ago.
 
First-year guard Sofia Vitucci is averaging 10.6 points per game this season, shooting 46.3% from the floor and shooting 38.7% from downtown, first on the team. Vitucci is also a 73.3% free throw shooter this season. She averages 5.8 rebounds per game, third on the team, while dishing out 3.2 assists and averaging 2.2 steals per game. Vitucci has 14 games in double-figures this year, scoring her season-high 25 points in the last game against Allegany College of Maryland, shooting 10-for-18 from the floor and making four three-pointers in the victory. She has one double-double this season, scoring 14 points and posting a season-high ten rebounds against Baltimore City CC on January 10^th. She set a season-high with eight assists in another game against Baltimore City CC, a 111-19 win on February 6^th, where she also scored 21 points. She had 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a season-best six steals against the Mighty Oaks of Salem on November 19^th. Vitucci had a combined 15 points in two games against the Falcons this season. She had only three points in four minutes in the loss in November, but scored 12 points, grabbed nine boards, and had five assists in the win at home last month. Against Union this year, Vitucci had a combined nine points, six rebounds, three assists, and four steals in two games. She scored seven points and grabbed four boards in the win at home against Union on February 15^th.
 
The head coach is Garrett Horton, in his first season at the helm for the Bears. Horton served as the Associate Head Coach last season for Harcum, helping lead the Bears to their seventh-place national ranking. His coaching career and experience is over the past decade, and he's the owner of Primetime Development Basketball Training, helping young players move on to four-year institutions at various levels.
 
About #6 Union College
The Owls (24-2) sailed through their first 22 games without a defeat, leaving a trail of fallen opponents in their wake. Their two closest games were separate 13-point victories over Harcum College and Monroe University, both in games that were not nearly as close as the final scores were. However, Union stumbled in its final two games, dropping an 83-80 overtime loss at home on Sophomore Night to Monroe on February 13^th, then falling 74-72 to Harcum College on the road on February 15^th. In two games, the Owls lost an undefeated regular season and an undefeated region record, but they still clinched the top spot in all of Region XIX heading into this weekend.
 
The loss to Harcum was particularly tough for Union, as the Owls blew a fourth quarter lead and missed some big shots down the stretch. Union shot 37.1% from the floor and 40% from the three-point line, while committing just six turnovers, but the Owls were 16-for-29 from the free throw line and got outrebounded, 38-33. Harcum shot 49% for the game and hit major shots in the final moments to clinch the victory.
 
Union is averaging 95.2 points per game this season, shooting 43.1% from the floor and hitting 28.3% from downtown. The Owls are giving up a stout 53 points per game this year, allowing opponents to shoot 34.8% from the floor and hitting 23.8% from three-point range. Union is outrebounding its opponents by a staggering +20 margin, tops in all of NJCAA Division II, averaging 53.2 rebounds per game this year, which includes 23.1 offensive boards per game. Union's opponents are averaging 25 turnovers per game, while the Owls are averaging 19.5 steals per contest. Union averages 13.5 turnovers per game this season, and the Hawks block almost four shots per game as a team.
 
The Owls swept Lackawanna this season and split with Harcum.
 

Projected Starters	GP (GS)	PPG	FG%	3PT%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG
0 - Ore Ogunwolere (G, So.)	26 (26)	8.8	45.4	18.8	63.8	3.3	5.1	3.8
1 - Yasmeen Brightwell (G, So.)	26 (26)	8.5	48.1	34.8	73.2	4.2	2.0	1.4
5 - Destiny Bynum Johnson (G, So.)	26 (26)	20.2	43.9	33.8	70.5	7.6	2.9	4.0
22 - Jalaiyah Smith (F, So.)	26 (15)	4.6	36.4	19.0	71.4	5.3	0.5	1.3
31 - Hellary De Los Santos (C, So.)	25 (25)	16.5	55.1	15.4	73.8	11.2	1.7	1.8

 

 Sophomore Destiny Bynum Johnson leads the team at 20.2 points per game this year, third in all of Region XIX and second in Region XIX DII. Johnson is shooting 43.9% from the floor and hitting 33.8% from deep. She's also a 70.5% free throw shooter. Bynum Johnson is second on the team at 7.6 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 2.9 assists per game. She's first on the squad with four steals per contest, tied for fourth in all of Region XIX. She scored double-figures in 25 games this season, which includes a season-high 33 points on the road at Essex County College on November 7^th, hitting a season-best 13 shots and knocking down four three-point shots. She has nine double-doubles on the year, putting up her season-high 12 rebounds against Richard Bland College on November 1^st. Johnson had one of her best games of the season against Lackawanna back on November 26^th, narrowly missing a quadruple-double with 21 points and eight rebounds, plus season-highs in assists (9) and steals (9). She scored 28 points, knocking down eight three-pointers, and had four rebounds and four assists in the loss to Harcum on February 15^th. In two games against Harcum, Johnson had 39 points, 14 rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Against the Falcons, Johnson had a combined 48 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, and 12 steals in two games. Johnson scored 27 points and had four boards in the win against Lackawanna in January.
 
First-year forward Hellary De Los Santos is averaging 16.5 points per game, second on the team and fourth in Region XIX DII. She's shooting 55.1% from the floor and hitting 73.8% from the free throw line. De Los Santos averages 11.2 rebounds per game, by far the team-high and third in Region XIX DII. De Los Santos also averages 1.8 steals per game and 1.7 assists per contest. De Los Santos has 21 games in double-figures this season, putting up a season-high 34 points on 14-for-20 shooting in the win against Bryant & Stratton (VA) back on December 14^th. She posted 13 rebounds in the victory. She has 17 double-doubles this season, and her season-high in rebounds came in the loss to Monroe on February 13^th, where she had 31 points and 18 boards. Her previous season-best in rebounds was 17 against Harcum on November 9^th, where she also set her season-best with five steals. De Los Santos had eleven points on 4-for-14 shooting and 12 rebounds in the loss to Harcum on February 15^th. Against Harcum this season, De Los Santos has a combined 36 points, 29 rebounds, and six steals in two games. She scored 25 points and had 17 rebounds in the win in November. Against Lackawanna, De Los Santos scored 34 points and had 21 rebounds in two games. She had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the win in January.
 
Sophomore guard Ore Ogunwolere is averaging 8.8 points per game this season, shooting 45.4% from the floor and hitting 63.8% from the free throw line. Ogunwolere leads the squad with 5.1 assists per game, fifth in all of Region XIX. She also averages 3.8 steals per game, second on the team this season. Ogunwolere has scored in double-digits 13 times this season, including her season-high 16 points in the win against Mercer County CC back on January 14^th. Ogunwolere went 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the win, while posting six assists, five steals, and five rebounds. Ogunwolere had six points, five rebounds, and a season-best eight assists against Chesapeake College on December 9^th, and she set a season-high with ten steals to secure a double-double against Mercer County CC on November 19^th. Ogunwolere has 13 games this year with six or more assists. She scored just one point, had six assists, and grabbed three boards in the loss to Harcum on February 15^th. In two games against the Bears, she has 13 points, seven rebounds, eleven assists, and seven steals. She had 12 points, five assists, and six steals in the win back on November 9^th. Against Lackawanna, she had a combined 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals in two games. She scored 12 points and had four assists in the win at home back on January 21^st.
 
The head coach is Marbely Montas, now in her eighth season as the head coach of the Owls. Montas is a Union College legend on the women's basketball side, starting her career at Union as a player in 2005. Montas was named All-America, then moved on to Monmouth University on a full ride. After her time at Monmouth, she joined the Dominican Republic National Team, helping lead the DR to a Centro Americanos competition silver medal. She also became the second-leading scorer in DR history. She returned to New Jersey to pursue a master's in Business Administration from Kean University, and joined the Union staff as an assistant in 2011, helping the Owls to six Region tournament appearances and a pair of Region XIX championships, with the latter in 2015 culminating in the program's first appearance in the NJCAA DII Women's Basketball tournament. Since taking over in 2017, Montas has gone 191-45, with six Region XIX championships, six NJCAA DII tournament appearances, and two championship game appearances in her first two seasons ('17-'18, '18-'19). Montas also serves as the Union College Director of Athletics.
 
The Tournament
Since the Division II/III split in 1992, the Union College Owls have been the dominant force in Region XIX, winning 15 championships, including eight of the last ten titles dating back to 2015. Last year, the Owls won the region, went on to win the district, and made the national tournament. Eventually, the Owls ran into, you guessed it, Harcum, in the consolation bracket, where the Bears got some measure of revenge in eliminating the Owls from the national tournament.
 
Harcum has won six championships since 1992, including a 2023 victory, which came during a season where the Bears eventually finished second in the country.
 
It's been a two-horse race for nearly 20 years in Region XIX DII. In fact, since Mercer won in 2005, the only Region XIX DII champions have been either Harcum (6) or Union (12). The only team that wasn't either of those two teams was Essex, which won in 2014.
 
You don't have to tell Lackawanna fans about it, as that dominance is something the Falcons have been trying to shake for years. Once the preeminent force in all of Region XIX women's basketball, Lackawanna College won seven region championships in a 12-year span from 1983 to 1995. Since then, the Falcons have made several national tournament appearances, but they have had to do it without a region championship. Lackawanna hasn't made a region title game since 2021, and the Falcons haven't won a title since 1995. It's not for lack of trying, as Lackawanna has made 12 championship appearances since the '95 title, but they have lost every appearance. From 2010 to 2021, the Falcons made seven title games in 12 years, but they ran into either Harcum (0-2) or Union (0-5) and came away without region hardware.
 
Again, this year's edition of the Region XIX women's and men's Division II tournament semifinals and finals will be held inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, with three games happening on Thursday, February 27^th, and the two championships scheduled for Saturday, March 1^st.
 
Due to unforeseen circumstances affecting the Mercer County CC women's basketball program, the first semifinal on Thursday, which was set to pit the fifth-seed Vikings against the top-seed and #6 Union College, has been canceled. Union College will advance to the Region XIX DII championship on Saturday, March 1^st. They will face the winner of the other semifinal, which will see second-seed and #14 Harcum College play the hosts, third-seeded Lackawanna College, at 3:00pm ET.
 
The men's semifinals will follow at 5:00pm and 7:00pm, respectively.
 
On Saturday, March 1^st, the women's championship game will be held at 1:00pm ET, while the men's final will follow at 3:00pm ET.
 
The tournament will decide the Region XIX DII champ and put the winner one step closer to a national tournament berth. The region champion will move on as the region representative in next week's East District championship contest. Only the region champion in both women's and men's basketball will advance.
 
The events on Thursday are open to the public and will have tickets sold at the door at a flat rate of $5 per person, which will be good for the entire day's games. Anyone with a valid Lackawanna College ID will gain free entry to the event. There is also a paid video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. It's a $9.95 cost to gain access to all four games for the day on Thursday. Steve Young and Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the broadcasting duties.
 
This is a single elimination tournament, with only the champions advancing to the next round of playoffs.