Box Score 2/3/26
 
BRANCHBURG, NJ – Raritan Valley CC hit four-straight three-pointers to open the game, and Lackawanna men's basketball could never quite get itself going, falling 83-67 on the road in a Region XIX Division II contest on Tuesday night in New Jersey.
 
The Falcons (12-10, 3-5) were hit hard right from the start, as the Lions (15-7, 4-2) buried four three-pointers and then scored a lay-up off a turnover to race to a 14-5 lead inside the first four minutes, forcing a timeout.
 
Lackawanna's offense continued to struggle, falling behind 26-11 after the first eight minutes. The deficit grew to 20 with under nine minutes to go, as Raritan buried a three to make it 33-13.
 
The Falcons got it within 13 with a three-pointer from Jaksa Pejovic (Podgorica, Montenegro) with under a minute to play in the first half, and the Lions kept it there at 42-29 at the break.
 
David Popson (Wilkes-Barre, PA) started the second half with a three-point play to bring the Falcons within ten at 42-32, and the Falcons wasted multiple possessions to get inside of ten. A three from Raritan made it 13 points, again, which started a quick 11-1 run, and the Falcons were forced to take a timeout at 16:22 in a 53-33 hole.
 
The Falcons tried to make one final push with just over seven minutes remaining. Trailing 69-51, Latrell Mark (Frederick, MD) blocked a shot that led to a fast-break and two free throws from Xavier Spears (Brooklyn, NY). Spears then stole a wayward pass and scored a lay-up, and Mark went coast-to-coast converting a whirling spin in the lane to make it 69-57 with under six to go. Mark got a steal, and the Falcons had a chance to get inside of ten, but a three-pointer missed, Raritan drew a foul on the other end, and the Falcons wouldn't get it closer again.
 
Mark scored a team-high 25 points, while Spears added eleven points for the Falcons.
 
Lackawanna College will get back to action on Thursday, February 5^th, with a non-region home contest against SUNY Rockland CC. Tip is set for 7:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium.