Amherst, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team snapped Daemen College's 13-game win streak and 22-game ECC regular season unbeaten streak, dating back to the start of last year, with a 61-53 triumph over the host Wildcats at Lumsden Gymnasium on Friday evening.

STAC improves to 10-14 and 9-6 in the ECC on the season, while Daemen falls to 15-4 and 13-1 in conference play.

Sarah Ericson led the way for the Spartans, posting a double-double, with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Alexa Huertas (13 points) and Erin Leary (11 points) also scored in double-figures. Katie Titus (16 points), Tiara Filbert (14 points) and Mickayla Ivy (11 points) paced the Wildcats offense.

STAC shot 46.0 percent from the field (23-50) and 47.4 percent from behind the arc (9-19) in the conference tilt, while Daemen shot 30.8 percent (20-65) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven players recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Sarah Ericson led the Spartans with five assists on the evening.
• Ericson made 6 of her 11 field goal attempts, with 5-of-8 going in from three, while Erin Leary went 5-for-8 from the floor.
• STAC out rebounded Daemen 38-34 in 40 minutes of action, with Sarah Ericson grabbing 11 boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up six steals in the contest, with the Wildcats turning the ball over on nine separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in three team statistical categories over Daemen: Points off of Turnovers (7-5), Fastbreak Points (7-0) and Bench Points (10-9).

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Daemen opened the scoring with a 6-2 run over the first two minutes of the contest, before back-and-forth shooting between the teams made it a slim one-point margin in favor of the hosts at 16-15.
• St. Thomas Aquinas took its first lead of the game (17-16) on a Sarah Ericson jumper and were able to end the opening stanza with a 20-18 advantage.
• The Wildcats would tie the game and regain the lead early on in the second quarter at 22-20. However, STAC would go on a 9-0 run of its own to go up 29-22.
• Daemen closed the gap on the scoreboard to just three (29-26) late, but an Alexa Huertas three-pointer before the halftime buzzer would push the Spartan lead back to six (32-26) at the break.
• Sarah Ericson paced the Spartan offense with 11 first half points, while Katie Titus led all scorers with 13 points for Daemen.
• In third quarter action, St. Thomas Aquinas and Daemen would trade baskets to start with neither team holding more than a five-point lead, before the Spartans built an 11-point advantage (51-40) to close the frame. 
• Daemen attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, narrowing their deficit to just six points on at least two occasions. The Spartans would not allow the host Wildcats to ruin their mojo, answering almost all of the Wildcats scoring attempts, with ones of their own. STAC built its largest lead of the contest (13) at 53-40 and were able to hold onto a nine-point advantage at the final buzzer.

UP NEXT:

St. Thomas Aquinas wraps up its Western New York road trip at D'Youville College on Sunday, February 20. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at the College Center Gymnasium in Buffalo.