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Late Fade Spells 71-63 Defeat for Men's Hoops at Washington Adventist

Late Fade Spells 71-63 Defeat for Men's Hoops at Washington Adventist
Posted: Nov 29, 2012

The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team saw TJ Jones pour in 26 points but it wasn't enough in a 71-63 loss at Washington Adventist. STAC led with under seven minutes to play but a late run by the hosts made the difference as the Spartans fell to 0-4 while WAU improved to 2-6.

STAC hadn't faced an opponent since returning from their Puerto Rico trip 17 days earlier, and the rust was evident early as Adventest stormed to a 21-10 lead midway through the first half. A Jones trey with just over eight minutes remaining in the half seemed to wake the Spartans from their doldrums, as they went on a 23-9 run of their own before settling for a one-point lead at 34-33 entering the locker room.

Continuing that momentum after the break, a Justin Brown jumper helped the Spartans gain their biggest margin of the night at 43-37 just over 16 minutes left, capping a 33-16 spurt by the visiting squad. Once again, WAU would close the gap quickly and the tilt settled into a see-saw affair entering the final minutes.

With St. Thomas Aquinas holding a 57-56 lead with seven minutes left, the well would run dry as the Shock ran off the next six points and never looked back. The Spartans did not help themselves at the foul line, hitting just three of their final eight attemps in the waning minutes and going 21-for-38 (55%) from the stripe on the night, while WAU hit 20-of-29 (69%). STAC never found the range from the floor, hittng just 28% (19-68) with the hosts nearly doubling that percentage at 52% (25-48).

After a tough stretch that has seen them drop their last three contests by an average of just over four points per game, the Spartans finally have their home opener in sight on Saturday, December 1. They will host Dowling College at about 3:00 pm as the back end of a double-header which will see the women's teams play at 1:00, in what is also the East Coast Conference opener for all four teams.

If you can't make it to Aquinas Hall to cheer on the Spartans and Lady Spartans, be sure to check out our live video broadcast online, and follow along with LiveStats.