The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team jumped on top early and cruised to a 95-72 victory over Caldwell University in the NCAA Division II East Regional Semi-Final in Albany, NY. The top-seeded Spartans advance to their third Championship Game in the past four tournaments while improving to 14-1 overall, while Caldwell's season ends with a 6-5 record.

While STAC enjoyed the first-round bye as the top seed, Caldwell opened the tourney with a Saturday night 65-62 victory over Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe Dominican College. The Spartans wasted no time jumping on the Cougars, bolting to a 10-0 lead within the first 2:35 of play as Demetre Roberts completed a three-point play on the game's first possession followed by back-to-back buckets by Grant Singleton and another by Osbel Caraballo.

Caldwell answered with an 18-11 burst to draw within 25-22 on a pair of Daniel Dade, Jr. free throws midway through the half, but Caraballo scored six points in an 8-0 run to get the lead back up to 33-22, and Caraballo added the last of his 18 first-half points in the final seconds as the Spartans took a 54-39 lead into the break.

Improving on their start to the evening, STAC pressed to a 12-0 run out of the locker room to open a 66-39 lead, which was never challenged. Caraballo led all scorers with 24 points, Singleton poured in 17, and Elijah Bovell added 13 to go with 10 boards as the St. Thomas Aquinas starters saw limited action in the second half. Ty-Shon Pennell had 21 points and Anthony Cooper chipped in with 20 in Cadwell's season finale.

The Spartans now await the winner of tonight's semi-final between #2 Daemen College and #3 Bloomfield College, with the winner advancing into Tuesday's final with a 7:00 pm tip at the Albany Capital Center.