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Brown 1,000th Keys Surge as Spartans Edge Felician, 61-60, for Fourth Win in Last Five

Brown 1,000th Keys Surge as Spartans Edge Felician, 61-60, for Fourth Win in Last Five

Justin Brown recorded his 1,000th career point and Dane Dixon scored the first four points in a 7-0 run late in the second half that propelled the St. Thomas Aquinas men's basketball team to a 61-60 non-conference victory over Felician College on Saturday afternoon in Aquinas Hall. The win was the Spartans' fourth in five games.

A three pointer by Felician's John Tello put STAC in an 11 point hole with 6:56 remaining in the first half but STAC answered with a 11-0 run, capped by Brown's three at the 1:19 mark, to knot the contest at 26. David Williamson then made one of two from the line to give Felician a one point led at the break.

Nick Lopez gave the Spartans a 37-31 edge with 15:19 left and the two sides traded leads until Brown's two free throws at the 7:27 mark brought the junior to the 1,000 point mark in his career and knotted the affair for the seventh time. Dane Dixon made two free throws with 4:57 left and a basket 36 seconds later to break a 52-52 deadlock and jumpstart a 7-point STAC run. After the visitors got within one on Anthony D. Green's two free throws, Lopez made two of three from the charity stripe with 1:13 left on the clock to ice things for the Spartans.

Brown led the Spartans offense with 18 points while James Ockimey added 12, Omar Kellman chipped in with 11 points and a team high nine boards and Lopez contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. John Tello (16 points, 8 rebounds) and Tajric Boggs (11 points) were the top scorers for Felician.

The Spartans continue their homestand with an ECC showdown versus NYIT on Wednesday, January 18 at Aquinas Hall. Tip-off time is scheduled for 7:30 pm as the back end of a twin-bill with the women's teams. You can watch all the action and follow along with Live Stats by clicking the appropriate schedule links at game time. STAC will then travel to face Mercy College on Saturday, January 21 in a 3:00 pm start before returning home to face the University of Bridgeport on Wednesday, January 25 with the action scheduled to commence at 7:30 pm after the women's contest.