The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team takes on St. Anselm College in the NCAA Division II East Region Semi-final at Holy Family University in Philadelphia. Tip time is 5:00 pm, follow the action Live HERE.
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6:47 - The dream is over as a contest for the ages ends with a 77-73 St. Anselm victory.
6:46 - Watler runs the floor but his three is just off the mark. STAC foul on the rebound, 2.7 left.
6:45 - Guers barely makes the first and the second is pure. 76-73. 10 seconds left.
6;43 - With time winding down, deCourtenay fouls out. 10.0 seconds left. Two shots for Guers. STAC should get one final chance.
6:42 - Watler and deCourtenay miss from in close. Under a minute left - Guers almost turns the ball over and calls time out with 51.4 left; 74-71. Both teams showing signs of this tremendous battle.
6:41 - Turnover on the inbound - STAC has life....
6:40 - Victor Joshua makes one of two, STAC staying patient but Hawks defending well. Watler with a strong drive gets the roll, time out, Spartans. 1:25 left, 74-71, St. Anselm.
6:38 - STAC getting chances but coming up empty. Watler draws a foul and makes both, getting late though, 73-69, 2:10 left
6:36 - McCahey makes one of two, four point game.
6:35 - Is there one more burst left in the scrappy Spartans?
6:33 - Spartans' shot coming up just short, perhaps fatigue setting in. STAC comes up empty on a pair of opportunities and deCourtenay is whistled for his 4th - for real this time - St. Anselm shooting two after the final media time out of regulation. 70-67, St. A's.
6:31 - After a Spartan turnover, Anderson calls time. STAC is struggling but still well alive - 4:24 left, 70-67, Hawks.
6:28 - Spartans struggling to generate offense - Hawks break the pressure and go halfcourt, rebounding foul puts Watler on the line where he makes one of two - 68-67, Anselm, 4:40
6:26 - McCahey left open again for another three, he has 26. 66-66, 5;40
6:25 - McCahey with a left corner three, but Lawton answers with a driving lay up. 66-63, 7:00 left.
6:22 - Watler on a baseline drive for a pretty reverse lay-up, and the foul. Shooting after the media time out - 7:51 left, Spartans with a 63-60 edge.
6:20 - deCourtenay stepping up big, muscles in for a lay up. Guers answers with one of his own. 61-60, STAC. 8:25 left.
6:18 - Braley whistled for his 4th on a moving screen, fouls now 8-7 and suddenly the Hawks have players on the bench. deCourtenay again draws a foul in the paint, makes one and McFarlan fouls on the rebound. 59-57 STAC, 9:31 left.
6:15 - Correction - deCourtenay still in the game with only three fouls. Grabs and offensive board and is fouled going to the hole. Makes two, Taggert to the bench with his fourth foul and 15 points. 10:40 left, 58-57, STAC.
6:14 - Watler has 17 points, McCahey 20. Deep breath...
6:13 - Spartans actuallly slowing the pace, perhaps in deference to the fouls. Media time out, 11:33 left, 57-56, St. Anselm's. Classic game shaping up.
6:11 - McCahey strokes a beautiful top right three. Anselm, 55-53, 13:20 left. Lawton answers wide open from the left corner. 56-55 STAC, 13:00 left
6:10 - deCourtnay whistled for his fourth - fouls are 8-4. Guers misses the front end.
6:08 - Anselm breaks the pressure and McCahey gets the three-point play. 52-52. 14;50 left. Watler draws a shooting foul and makes one, 53-52 STAC, 14:40 left.
6:06 - deCourtenay draws a steamroller charge on Taggert, he comes to the bench with three. 15:10 left, 52-49
6:02 - Dan Wilson has picked up his 4th foul and Watler now has three. Watler drains a right side three and the Hawks turn it over. Spartan Army on its feet - 15:44 left, STAC 52-49.
6:01 - Guers strong to the hoop for an and-one ties the score. Offense foul, charge on Cust. 47-47, 16:50 left
5:56 - Watler puts the Spartans on top and Lawton drills a right-side three. STAC, 45-41, 18:40 left. Guers answers with a three point play, 45-44 STAC.
5:51 - Stats - Watler leads STAC with 11; St. Anselm, Taggert with 15, McCahey 12. Foul trouble- STAC; deCourtenay, Watler, Wilson, Berlin with two each. St. A's; Taggert and Braley with two. Teams taking care of the ball - STAC has turned the ball over just four times, three for Anselm. Rebounds close at 17-16. Befitting a one-point game. 20 Minutes to Tuesday.....
5:41 - Basket confirmed. Spartan Nation has every reason to be proud of this team, long way to go in this one.
5:39 - STAC forces a shot-clock violation and holds for the last shot of the half. Pretty ball movement leads to a driving Aaron Cust lay-up at the buzzer, bringing the Spartan Army to life. Refs will check, but shot looked good. Halftime, 41-40, St. Anselm's.
5:37 - Taggert hits a right-side three, St. A's looking for some separation but McFarlan hits a top-right trey, timeout, STAC. 1:00 left - 41-38, Hawks. Braley also has two fouls for St. A's.
5:36 - de Courtenay draws a charge on a very close call, 2nd foul on Taggert. Watler from the left corner for two, but Guers drives the baseline for a lay-up. Big couple of minutes for the Spartans. 38-35, 2:00 left.
5:34 - Lawton to the line, hits a pair to make it a one-point game.
5:32 - Some confusion on the score as the board is late to put up an Anselm hoop. McCahey makes a three, media time out, Hawks lead 34-31, 3:37 in the half.
5:31 - Watler picks up his 2nd after a turnover, fouls mounting up. McCahey with a lay-up, 31-29, 4:10 left
5:28 - Braley ties it with a layup off a nice feed, but Cust is fouled and drains a pair. 29-27 STAC, 5:22 left. Next possession, Sam Berlin picks up his 2nd. Bigs in foul trouble.
5:26 - Out of the time out, McFarlan steals and goes the distance, STAC by a pair.
5:24 - Guers knots the score with a three, the Spartans stall for a shot clock violation. Media time out, the Spartans are alive and battling - 25-25, 7:39 left.
5:22 - Mitchell buries a three, and Watler from the right elbow off a miss. STAC leads, 25-22, 9:00 left.
5:20 - McFarlan soars to the offensive glass to convert a Lawton miss, score tied at 20-20. Berlin stuffs Guers but is called for a foul - Guers his two, 22-20, midway point of the 1st...
5:19 - Joshua misses a pair. McFarlan attacks the basket and is fouled - he makes 1-of-2. STAC not pressuring. 20-18, 10:40 left.
5:16 - The size disparity is about to get wider as Wilson joins deCourtenay on the bench with two fouls. Hawks shoot a pair after media time out, 20-17, 11:39 left. STAC is playing solid defense but St. A's is moving the ball exceptionally well and hitting from the perimeter.
5:13 - Hawks hitting threes; McCahey hits a pair and Taggert another, offsetting one by Adam Koziol. Watler attacks the basket for an "and-one," 12:41 left, 18-15 St. A's
5:11 - Dan Wilson picks up a quick foul and Taggert makes a pair. Watler rises from a crowd and his from the left elbow. McCahey left corner three puts Hawks up 12-9, 14:12 left.
5:09 - Media time out after a Jules deCourtenay foul, his second. 15;23 left, St. A's ball, score tied at 7-7. Clear size difference favors the Hawks, but STAC does not look intimidated.
5:08 - Off a steal, Mitchell kicks to Lawton, who drains a three. Braley quickly matches it, score tied, 5-5, 16:35 left.
5:05 - Spartans moving their feet extremely well on defense, but McCahey backs he way in to tie the score at the two-minute ark.
5:03 - Brief delay with teams to benches after the foul shots as the 30-second clock is malfunctioning. Now up and running, back underway after a two-minute delay. Spartans setting up the press.
5:02 - After a scoreless minute, de Courtenay is fouled on his way up, two shots. STAC leads, 2-0, 18:49 left
5:00 - Tip won by Mike McCahey, Hawks ball. 40 minutes to the Sweet 16 for one of these teams.
4:58 pm - Teams to benches for starting lineups - STAC first wearing the road maroon, St. A's in the home whites. The Spartan Army is back in force to show its support from the stands.
4:54 pm - National anthem played, teams resume warm-ups. Projected starters for STAC, James Mitchell, Jon Lawton, Jules de Courtenay, Chaz Watler. St. A's - Tim Guers, Mike McCahey, Chris Braley, Victor Joshua, Harrison Taggart. No surprises for the Hawks - the same five has started virtually every game this season.
4:31 - The Spartans are on the floor for pregame warm-ups. The team was informed this morning that Justin Reyes will be unavailable due to a one-game suspension handed down by the NCAA. Appropriately, "Don't Stop Believin'" blares during the warmups. The Spartans look ready to go....