Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team opened its conference schedule with a dominant 93-63 victory over Mercy College on Wednesday evening at Victory Gymnasium. STAC improves to 7-3, 1-0 ECC on the season while the Mavericks drop to 0-7, 0-1.

11 different players recorded a point for the Spartans, with Luis Risquez leading the way with 16 points. Osbel Caraballo and Vasilis Tolias also posted 13-point nights, with DeVante Jamison chipping in 12 points and 10 assists.

STAC shot 56.3 percent from the field (40-71) in the ECC opener, while making 9-of-21 from behind the arc. Mercy shot 36.5% (19-52) and 4-for 13 from three.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS: 

• 10 different players recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• DeVante Jamison led the Spartans with 10 assists on the evening
• Luis Risquez made 8 of his 12 field goal attempts, with Osbel Caraballo going 6-for-12.
• STAC scored the game's first basket at 19:48 of the first half on a Jerrel Kelly layup, and with the exception of an early 4-2 Mercy lead with just over 19 minutes to go in the first half, the Spartans maintained the advantage on the scoreboard for most of the contest.
• The Spartans were 18-36 (50%) from the field and 7-13 (53.8%) from downtown in the first half and 22-35 (62.9%) from the floor in the second half.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 11 steals in the contest, with Mercy turning the ball over on 18 occasions.
• STAC has now won three consecutive games to start the month of December.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• St. Thomas Aquinas was strong from the opening tip, holding a 43-35 lead at the half, and holding its largest lead of the game (34 points) at 87-53 late in the second stanza.
• Antonio Vendola, Jamal Barnes, Vasilis Tolias and Luis Risquez paced the offense for the Spartans in the first half, with six points apiece.
• STAC's bench scored 55 of the team's 93 total points.
• St. Thomas Aquinas logged 20 fast-break points and 56 points inside of the paint.
• The Spartans out rebounded the Mavericks 37-30 in 40 minutes of action.

UP NEXT: 

St. Thomas Aquinas hosts Holy Family University on the backend of a non-conference doubleheader at Aquinas Hall on Sunday, December 12. Tip-off is set for approximately 3pm in Sparkill, and follows the women's contest against Pace University, which begins at 1pm.