The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team battled until the final buzzer but couldn't overcome Molloy College in a 64-61 East Coast Conference setback at Aquinas Hall. Omar Kellman led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds for the Spartans, who fell to 4-14 overall and 4-6 in ECC action. Molloy improved to 12-6, 8-2.

Kellman was a dominant force early as STAC bolted to a 23-10 lead in the first half, only to see Molloy jump in front with a 17-2 outburst, grabbing a four-point lead. The Spartans drew even at 29-29 at halftime, but Nolan converted all four of his treys after the break, leading his team to as much as an 11-point margin at 53-42 midway through the second half.

Far from out of the running, the Spartans charged back, accounting for 10 points in a 14-2 run that put his team in a 56-55 lead with just 4:23 remaning. Molloy would reel off the next six points to gain a 61-56 edge, but a pair of Kellman lay-ups brought his team back within one. Once again, Kellman would be a force, as he was sent to the line with a chance to put his team ahead with just 1:27 left.

He would make the first to tie the score, but miss the second, opening the door for the visitors. Tyler Hammett would convert an offensive rebound to put Molloy back on top with just over a minute remaining, John Petrucelli converted one-of-two foul shots to give STAC life with just 21 seconds left. The Lions would turn up the defensive pressure, however, and Jones' off-balance shot at the buzzer was off the mark.

Kellman had six blocks to cap off his impressive showing, Jones added 19 points and Nick Lopez contributed 11 for STAC, while Jimmy Nolan led Molloy with 14 points, seeing teammates Petrucelli and Hammett record 13 each. The teams combined for just 20 turnovers in the well-played battle, with Molloy committing 12 and the Spartans yielding just eight.

The Spartans return to Aquinas Hall this Saturday, February 2, for a 3:00 pm showdown against Queens College. It is the first of two meetings this season between the ECC opponents, and will commence after the conclusion of the women's game, which starts at 1:00 pm.