Essex Falls to Lackawanna, 93-87, in Final Home Game of Regular Season

Newark, NJ - The Essex County College Men's Basketball team dropped a hard-fought 93-87 decision to Lackawanna College Men's Basketball in their final home game of the regular season Tuesday night at the Cleo Hill Physical Education Building.

Despite a balanced offensive effort and strong rebounding presence, Essex shot 46.7 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range but was unable to contain Lackawanna down the stretch.

Rodney Willis Jr. led the charge inside with a dominant double-double, finishing with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting while pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Off the bench, Christian Hampton delivered a team-best 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 performance from the free-throw line.

Ethan Laquindanum added 13 points and dished out a team-high 11 assists, directing the offense throughout the contest. Jaden Reid contributed 10 points, connecting on both of his three-point attempts, while Francis Demfack Tatanfack chipped in eight points and three assists. Gabriel Morales rounded out the starting unit with four points.

Essex finished with a 36-? rebounding effort (official opponent total unavailable) and shot an impressive 90 percent (9-of-10) from the free-throw line. However, 16 turnovers proved costly in the six-point defeat.

The Wolverines will now turn their attention to a pivotal regular-season finale on the road against Raritan Valley Community College on Thursday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. The outcome will determine whether Essex secures a berth in the Region 19 Playoffs.