Pleasantville, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team claimed its ninth consecutive victory on Saturday afternoon, upending East Regional foes Pace University 76-69 at the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Health, Fitness & Recreation Center.

STAC improves to 11-1 overall on the year, while Pace slips to 7-4.

James Patterson led the way for the Spartans, recording 24 points, while teammates Jamal Barnes (14pts), Kyle Pulliam (10pts) and Lawrence Foreman (10pts) also racked up double figures in scoring.

STAC shot 38.3 percent (23-60) from the field, while Pace shot 40.6 percent (26-64) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ten Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Rich Smith led the maroon and gold with six assists on the afternoon.
• James Patterson made 7 of his 25 field goal attempts. Meanwhile, teammate Jamal Barnes went 4-for-9 from the floor, with all of his shots coming from beyond the arc.
• STAC out-rebounded Pace by a slim 41-38 margin, with Patterson and Kyle Pulliam each grabbing a game-high nine boards apiece for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up nine steals, with the Setters turning the ball over on 17 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in two team statistical categories over Pace: Points off Turnovers (21-18) and Second Chance Points (14-9).
• The game featured six ties and six lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In a clash of East Regional foes, the Spartans and Setters traded early baskets to open the game tied 5-5.
• Pace would pull ahead 8-5, before a Deshawne Crim's jumper and Javion Patterson's free throw retied the game at 8-8.
• Back and forth play between the sides would be the story of the first half, with the maroon and gold countering every scoring play of the Setters with one of their own.
• With Pace leading 15-14, Lawrence Foreman's layup, followed by a Jamal Barnes three pointer would give STAC a 19-15 advantage with five minutes to play before halftime.
• The battle would continue to the buzzer, with Pace answering each STAC score. However, a three-point play by Deshawne Crim, along with a Rich Smith layup gave the Spartans some breathing room at the break, 30-26.
• James Patterson led all scorers with seven first half points for the Spartans, while Sean Bresnan, Jabari Nurse and Chaz Harvey each recorded five points for Pace.
• When STAC returned to the hardwood for the second half, they immediately made a statement, going on a 13-0 run over the first three plus minutes of the new stanza. Lawrence Foreman, James Patterson and Jamal Barnes helped to push the pace and extend the lead to 17, 43-26.
• Pace would then work to cut their deficit to as little as 10 points on multiple occasions over the next 10 minutes, but the Spartans would continue to answer the bell. Luis Risquez, Lawrence Foreman, James Patterson and Kyle Pulliam all hit key baskets to give the maroon and gold a little extra breathing room.
• Down the stretch, the host Setters were able to bring their deficit down to single digits, but the Spartans hit 7-of-10 free throws in the final two minutes of play, as Rich Smith, Jamal Barnes and Kyle Pulliam all earned trips to the foul line for free points.
• Those seven points from the charity stripe would prove to be critical, with Pace refusing to quit. A final run by the Setters kept the game's outcome to only single digits and a seven-point win by St. Thomas Aquinas, 76-69.

UP NEXT:

STAC returns to action in the New Year, 2024, as the maroon and gold continue their five-game road trip, visiting Jefferson University on Thursday, January 4 at 3:00 p.m.