Despite leading by as many as nine points after halftime, the St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team suffered its fourth straight defeat, 81-69 at Wilmington University. Justin Brown led the Spartans with 20 points, tying for game-high. After winning its first two games of the season, STAC now falls to 2-4 overall.

The Spartans started the evening none the worse for their long trek to Delaware, as all five starters contributed to a 20-8 burst in just over seven minutes to start the contest. While the hosts pulled to within two, STAC carried a 38-33 margin into the halftime locker room and extended it to nine with two buckets in the first minute of the second stanza.

There was still plenty of snarl in the Wildcats, however, who roared back with an 18-4 run over the next seven minutes to grab their first lead of the game. Though the Spartans clawed their own way back to within one at 53-52, the hosts rode another push - this one a 14-2 tear - to open their largest lead and cruise to the finish line.

In addition to Brown's 20-point effort, Omar Kellman (nine points, 10 rebounds), Ronnie Bethea (9 points), and James Ockimey (9 points) all chipped in for STAC. Wilmington's Corye Payton tied for game-high with 20 points, with Isian Mason (16) and Herbert Dennis (11) setting the pace for the victors.

After a torrid shooting first half which saw STAC post an impressive 58% from the field (14-24), the Spartans struggled thereafter, ending the affair at 47% overall (26-55). Wilmington started slowly but turned the tables after the break, shooting 56% (14-25) and totaling 49% overall (27-55). WU carried the rebounding edge by a 35-30 margin, though the hosts were able to pad their lead due to the discrepancy at the foul stripe, with STAC hitting just 10 of 20 shots (50%) while the Wildcats hit a precision 20-of-22 (91%).

Tonight's contest was the Spartans' fifth straight away from the friendly confines of Aquinas Hall, but the team will now have a one-week layoff before breaking the seal on the 2011-12 East Coast Conference schedule when Queens College visits Sparkill on Wednesday, December 7. The men take floor after the conclusion of the women's game, at approximately 7:30. You can catch all of the action live on video by clicking on the schedule link, as well as following our new Live Stats feature for up-to-the-second info while the games are in progress!