11/12/22    
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The opening weekend didn't go the way of the Falcons, but Lackawanna College saw improvement from games one to three, and now the Falcons will look to get in the win column when they travel to Rochester, NY to participate in the Murph Shapiro Classic at Monroe CC on Saturday, November 12^th and Sunday, November 13^th, this weekend.  
 
The Falcons will first take on the host Tribunes at 2:00pm ET on Saturday inside the Samuel J. Stabins PE Complex on the campus of Monroe CC. Then, they'll turn around and take on the Jayhawks of Jamestown CC on Sunday at 12:00pm ET. Both games will have a video livestream available via the Monroe CC Athletics' HudlTV Channel HERE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College went 10-12 last season, their first season under .500 since the 2013-2014 year. The Falcons played an up-and-down year, with a lone three-game winning streak. Otherwise, it was a lot of start and stop, with Lackawanna never really getting on a roll. Lackawanna College will need to replace 1^st Team All-Region and 2^nd Team All-American Nya Morris, who led the Falcons in almost every statistical category last season. Morris averaged 20.5 points, double the next closest Falcon, while pulling down 6.6 rebounds per game in 17 appearances.
 
The Falcons are 0-3 on the year, after dropping their first three games of the year to Catonsville, Monroe College, and Montgomery College. Opponents are hitting 39% from the field and 27% from downtown, while scoring nearly 75 points per game against the Falcons, and outrebounding Lackawanna by a nearly +11 margin. The Falcons are averaging 57 points per game, and are shooting just 13% from deep, and 33% overall. The Falcons haven't been terrible in the turnover department, averaging around 15 per game, but their opponents are scoring 15 points off turnovers per contest, and have nearly 13 steals per game this year.  
 
Cianna Roberts (Brooklyn, NY), who played a majority of bench minutes a year ago, is the leading scorer for the Falcons this season, averaging 12 points per game and pulling down five rebounds per game. Roberts is hitting around 43% of her shots this year, but, like the rest of her teammates, has struggled from deep, going just 2-for-11 in her three games this season. Roberts is tied for the team-lead with four steals so far this season. She has scored in double-figures twice this season, including a season-best 16 points in the loss to Montgomery. In that game, Roberts was 7-for-12 from the field, while grabbing three rebounds, posting two assists, and snagging two steals.
 
Last year's second-leading scorer, and 2^nd Team All-Region selection, Gabrielle Jackson (Darby Twp, PA), is currently second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game, while pulling down 3.3 rebounds per contest. Jackson, back for her third year, is tied with Roberts in steals with four already this year. She leads the Falcons in field goal percentage (44.4%) and has made the most free throws (9) of any Falcon so far this season. Jackson has scored in double-figures twice this season, going for a season-best 18 points in the loss to Monroe College. In that game, Jackson made seven free throws and pulled down four rebounds, while posting three assists and three steals. Jackson had ten points on 4-for-6 shooting in 23 minutes against Montgomery College in her last game.
 
Nya Jackson (Harrisburg, PA) also returns to the Falcons this year, after averaging 6.2 points per game in her 14 games last year. So far this season, with an increased role, Jackson has scored 8.5 points per game for the Falcons in two appearances. Against Montgomery, she had 13 points in 32 minutes of work, going 5-for-7 from the charity stripe, while grabbing four rebounds.
 
Another third-year returner, McKeyah Duley (Massillon, OH), is averaging 7.7 points per game so far this season. Duley is shooting around 36% overall from the field, but has struggled from three-point territory, normally her specialty, hitting just 2-for-13 in the early going this year. Duley averages 3.3 rebounds per game, and is 5-for-7 from the free throw line. Duley hit double-figures for the first time this year in her last game, a ten-point effort against Montgomery College.
 
Sidney Spence (Bronx, NY) had a breakout game in her last appearance, scoring 12 points and pulling down seven rebounds in 19 minutes of work, battling foul trouble against Montgomery. Spence averages six points per game this season, and pulls down around four rebounds per game on the year.  Sidney is shooting 38% from the the field this year, and is 8-for-12 from the free throw line in three games.
 
The newest face in the women's basketball program is Monica Spence, entering her first year in charge of the program. Spence follows in the footsteps of Joya Whittington, who was third all-time in wins as a coach and led the Falcons to several stops in the national tournament. Spence joined as an assistant last season, and was elevated to head coach with Whittington's departure. Spence has spent time as a coach at the youth level, as well as the semi-professional men's basketball level.
 
About Monroe CC
The Tribunes (1-2) come in having dropped their last two games, both match-ups with Region 19 opponents Raritan Valley and Essex County. In the 80-51 loss to Raritan, the Lions shot 46% from three-point range and put three players in double-figures, while holding the Tribunes to just 16% shooting from downtown. In the loss to Essex, Monroe CC held a 17-14 lead after one, but the Wolverines overwhelmed Monroe the rest of the way, forcing 23 turnovers and making more free throws (12) than the Tribunes attempted (7) on their way to a 62-51 victory.
 
Monroe CC is averaging a little over 62 points per game this season, while their opponents are scoring 58 per game. The Tribunes are shooting 39% for the year, and 28.6% from downtown, while their opponents are shooting at 36% from the field and 32% from downtown. The Tribunes are currently +14 in rebounding, and are forcing 16 turnovers per contest this year. The Tribunes average eight steals per game, but turn the ball over around 18 times per contest.
 
Four players are averaging double-figures this year, led by Natalina Rainford, who is averaging 18 points per game so far this season in her two games of action. Rainford is shooting 45% from the field, and is 78% from the free throw line, while averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. Rainford led the Tribunes in the loss to Raritan Valley with 24 points on 9-for-22 shooting, while pulling down 13 rebounds. Rainford had 12 points and six rebounds in the loss to Essex.
 
Khamera Muhammad is averaging 15.5 points per game, second on the team, in her two games of action. Muhammad is averaging 58% from the field, and leads the team in rebounds at 12.5 per game this season. She's also a team-high eight steals through two games. Muhammad did not play against Raritan Valley, but had 21 points and ten rebounds with three steals in the win over Essex Count College. She had 10 points and a season-best 15 rebounds in the win over Finger Lakes CC.  
 
Shanique Simms is third on the team with 13.5 points per game this season. Simms is shooting nearly 48% from the field this year, and is hitting around 36% from downtown in two games of action. Simms is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game, and is second on the team with 7 steals in two games. Shanique didn't see action against Raritan Valley, but she did score nine points, all on three-pointers, and had five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the game against Essex. She had a team-high 18 points off the bench in the win over Finger Lakes CC.
 
Kennedy Young is fourth on the team with 11.3 points per game this year in three games this year. Young is hitting around 29% of her shots, and 31% from three-point land this season. She is averaging six rebounds per game this year, fourth on the squad. Young has gone for double-figures in points twice this year, with a season-high 15 points coming against Finger Lakes CC in the season opener. Young came off the bench against Essex, scoring five points on just 2-for-10 shooting against the Wolverines. She had her season-high seven rebounds against Essex.  
 
Apollonia Desuze is averaging eight points per game this year, shooting a team-best 61% from the field. She's third on the team with nine rebounds per game this year, and averages around 1.5 assists per game this year. Desuze made an appearance against Essex, but really didn't see much action against the Wolverines. The bulk of her production came against Finger Lakes CC, scoring 16 points on 8-for-13 shooting, pulling down an impressive 16 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, against the Lakers.  
 
Abigail Pfluke has played in one game so far this season, the victory over Finger Lakes CC in the opener, where she scored eight points and dished out six assists in the win. She did not play in either of the games against Raritan or Essex last weekend.
 
The head coach for Monroe CC is Ayana Bradley, in charge after spending a few years as an assistant for the Tribunes. She was a part of the coaching staff that led the Tribunes to the 2018 NJCAA Division II National Championship, and was a member of the Tribunes from 2010 through 2012, helping Monroe CC to two district appearances, a district championship, and a national tournament appearance. She'd go on to a two-year career at the University of Buffalo. Bradley coaches youth basketball in the Rochester area, helping mentor young basketball players.
 
About Jamestown CC
The Jayhawks (2-1) are the Falcons' Sunday opponent. They'll first face off against the SUNY Sullivan Generals on Saturday at 12:00pm ET. Jamestown comes into the weekend on a two-game winning streak, having defeated Bronx CC and Jefferson CC in the Jefferson CC Cannoneer Classic. In their last game, the Jayhawks won the Cannoneer Classic by knocking off the host Jefferson CC, surviving a wild 22-11 rally from the Cannoneers in the fourth quarter to hang on 73-70. The Jayhawks shot 42% from the field, and outrebounded Jefferson 45-to-33, and managed to survive 32 turnovers to hold on for the win. Two players scored in double-figures for Jamestown to help the Jayhawks to the win.  
 
Jamestown is averaging just shy of 66 points per game this season, and is shooting 37% from the field. Jayhawks' opponents are hitting 34% from the field, and shooting just 13% from three-point territory. Opponents are scoring just over 60 points per game this year. The Jayhawks average a +17 rebounding margin in their three games this year, and are averaging 14 assists per game. Jamestown is averaging just shy of 33 turnovers per game, and opponents are averaging 14.3 steals per game.  
 
Grace Lundmark is the leading Jayhawk-scorer, averaging 18.7 points per game this year. Grace is shooting 49% from the field, and hitting 80% of her free throws. She's averaging nine rebounds per game, second on the team, and has 1.7 steals per game in three games of action. Lundmark has a pair of double-digit games this year, with her season-best coming against Jefferson CC with 26 points on 12-for-21 shooting. She had nine rebounds, five offensive, in the victory, as well as two blocks and two steals. Lundmark had a season-high eleven rebounds in the win over Bronx CC in the game before.
 
D'Auzhanay Harden is second on the team with 13.3 points per game this year, shooting at 42% from the field, and averaging five rebounds per game. She's the team leader with 6.7 assists per game in her three games of action, and is also averaging around 1.7 steals per game. Harden has scored in double-figures in all three games this year, going for her season-best 18 points against Jefferson CC in her last game. She also had her season-best eight assists against Jefferson, pulling down five rebounds as well against the Cannoneers.  
 
Zalika Stevens is third on the Jayhawks with 12 points per game this season, hitting 38% from the field, pulling down 4.7 rebounds per game, and is second on the team with two steals per game so far this year in her three appearances. Stevens has hit double-figures twice this year, including her season-high 20 points against Bronx CC. Stevens had 20 points and six rebounds in that game. She had six points and two rebounds in just 15 minutes, battling foul trouble against the Cannoneers.
 
Hannah Hicks is averaging 7.7 points per game this year, and is far and away the team leader in 17.3 rebounds per game. She's also the team leader in blocks, averaging nearly four blocks per game. Hicks had a 13-point, 26-rebound double-double in the game against Bronx CC, pulling down eight offensive rebounds in the win. She also had a 15-rebound output against Lakeland CC. She had just two points in 24 minutes due to foul trouble against Jefferson CC, but still managed eleven rebounds and four blocks against the Cannoneers.
 
The head coach for the Jayhawks is Dave Turnbull, now in his second season in charge. Turnbull led Jamestown to a berth in the NJCAA East District playoffs last season, and was named Region III Coach of the Year, guiding the Jayhawks to a 13-15 overall record. Turnbull came to Jamestown from the high school ranks, having captured a pair of Section titles in New York state at Southwestern Central HS. Turnbull, a North Carolina graduate, got his JD at Syracuse University in 1989, and has been coaching youth basketball for a number of years, spending summers in North Carolina coaching at clinics with the Tar Heels women's basketball team in Chapel Hill.
  
The Match-Up
The Falcons will first play the host Monroe Community College at 2:00pm ET on Saturday, November 12^th. On Sunday, November 13^th, Lackawanna College will take on the Jamestown CC Jayhawks at 12:00pm ET. Monroe CC will be providing a video livestream for each game this weekend, which can be found on the Monroe CC Athletics Channel via HudlTV HERE.
 
The next game for the Falcons will be on Thursday, November 17^th, when they travel to Bryn Mawr, PA to take on the Bears from Harcum College in their Region XIX opener. That game is set for a 5:00pm ET tip.