Washington, D.C. - Returning to the court for the first time since December 19, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team posted a decisive 103-71 victory over the University of the District of Columbia on Wednesday night in our nation's capital.
Nine different players recorded a point for the Spartans (11-3, 4-0 ECC), with Demetre Roberts leading the way with 17 points. Grant Singleton (16 points), Osbel Caraballo (15 points), Vasilis Tolias and Luis Risquez (12 points each) and Elijah Bovell (11 points) also scored in double-figures on the evening.
STAC shot 50.6 percent from the field (41-81) in the conference contest, while making 11-of-28 (39.3%) shots from behind the arc. UDC shot 43.9% (25-57) and made three of their 17 three-point attempts.
STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:
- Ten different players recorded double-digit minutes in the contest.
- Grant Singleton led the Spartans with nine assists.
- Demetre Roberts and Osbel Caraballo each made 7 of their 12 field goal attempts in the game, with Singleton going 6-for-10.
- The Spartans were 20-41 (48.8%) from the field in the first half and 21-40 (52.5%) in the second half.
- St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 11 steals on the night, while forcing 23 UDC turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The host Firebirds opened a quick 7-0 lead, necessitating an early timeout by Head Coach Tobin Anderson.
- STAC battled back to even the score at 12-12 with just over 15 minutes left in the opening stanza.
- From that point on, it was all Spartans, as the visitors in maroon and gold built a 20-point lead with just under five minutes left before halftime, and by the break led UDC 51-29 through the first 20 minutes.
- Osbel Caraballo paced the offense for the Spartans in the first half, with 13 points, while the Firebirds Juanye Colon and Kenyon Stone posted seven points apiece.
- The hot STAC shooting continued into the second half, with St. Thomas Aquinas building as much as a 34-point advantage with just under nine and half minutes left to play.
- The Spartan bench scored 44 of the team's 103 total points.
- St. Thomas Aquinas logged 37 points off of turnovers and 56 points inside of the paint.
UP NEXT:
St. Thomas Aquinas returns to Aquinas Hall on Saturday, January 15 to take on the College of Staten Island in the first-ever ECC meeting between the two schools. Tip-off is scheduled for 3pm in Sparkill.