Indiana, Pa. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team completed the two-game sweep of the 2023 IRMC Thanksgiving Classic, with an 89-75 victory over the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown on Sunday afternoon at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex.

STAC moves to 6-1 on the season, while Pitt-Johnstown falls to 2-3 on the year.

Jamal Barnes led the way for the Spartans, posting 21 points, while teammates Vasilis Tolias (13pts), James Patterson (12pts) and Ethan Milliron (12pts) also recorded double-digit point totals.

STAC shot 50.8 percent (33-65) from the field and 53.3 (16-30) percent from beyond the arc, while Pitt-Johnstown shot 50.0 percent (30-60) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ten Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Rich Smith led the maroon and gold with 10 assists on the afternoon.
• Jamal Barnes made 7 of his 12 field goal attempts, with 7-of-11 coming from downtown. Meanwhile, Vasilis Tolias went 5-for-9 from the floor and 3-of-4 from three.
• STAC and Pitt-Johnstown each recorded 34 rebounds in 40 minutes of action, with James Patterson grabbing a game-high 10 boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up nine steals, with the Mountain Cats turning the ball over on 16 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in two team statistical categories over Pitt-Johnstown: Points off Turnovers (21-10) and Bench Points (38-20).
• The game featured one tie and no lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• STAC raced out to a quick 16-2, with Lawrence Foreman, Kyle Pulliam, Jamal Barnes, James Patterson and Ethan Millirons all slicing through the Pitt-Johnstown defense and scoring at-will to force the Mountain Cats to call timeout and try to right the ship.
• It was raining threes for most of the first half, as Kyle Pulliam, Jamal Barnes, Ethan Millirons, and Vasilis Tolias combined to hit 11 shots from beyond the arc. 
• The hot-shooting Spartans built its largest lead of the game with seven and a half minutes to play in the first half, as the maroon and gold lead by 26, 43-17.
• A final jumper by Rich Smith closed out a most impressive first 20 minutes of play, with STAC leading 55-35.
• Jamal Barnes led all scorers with 15 first half points for the Spartans, while Will Kromka picked up 10 points for the Mountain Cats.
• When the teams returned to the court for second half action, the three-point barrage continued for St. Thomas Aquinas, as James Patterson and Jamal Barnes continued to make Pitt-Johnstown's day a miserable one, while keeping their opponents at an arms length, leading 66-44 with 16 minutes left in regulation.
• However, a timeout by the Mountain Cats stirred up a rally cry, as Pitt-Johnstown proceeded to go on a 13-3 run of their own to cut the deficit to 12 (69-57) with 10 minutes to play.
• Rich Smith, James Patterson and Luis Risquez made the most of their opportunities over the next three plus minutes to increase the Spartans' lead back to 18 at 77-59.
• Down the stretch, STAC answered Pitt-Johnstown's final push, as Javion Patterson, Visilis Tolias, Ethan Millirons and Jordan Green accounted for the final 12 points of the contest.
• Strong defensive play by all four men and their teammates in the final minutes, allowed the Spartans to take the 89-75 victory and sweep the 2023 IRMC Thanksgiving Classic.

UP NEXT:

STAC heads back out on the road to face Georgian Court University on Wednesday, November 29. The Spartans and Lions tip-off at 6:00 p.m. inside of GCU Wellness Center in Lakewood, N.J.