The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team built a 32-point lead en route to a 71-58 triumph over Georgian Court University at Aquinas Hall. Omar Kellman led the STAC attack with 19 points and seven rebounds as the non-conference win lifted STAC to 6-2 overall, with Georgian Court falling to 2-8.
St. Thomas Aquinas was coming off a 12-day layoff following a setback against Felician College, which saw their five-game winning streak snapped, with Georgian Court entering with a week between games. Both teams struggled early as a result - including a stretch of nearly five scoreless minutes after STAC scoreed four straight points to grab an 11-9 edge.
Eventually, it was the Spartans catching fire and leaving the visitors behind. The Lions endured a span of nine scoreless minutes, with St. Thomas Aquinas ringing up 14 straight points to grab a 21-9 lead. In all, a 22-2 outburst staked the home squad to a commanding 29-11 advantage with just under five minutes left in the first half.
Kellman was a key factor in the Spartans' 41-16 halftime advantage, picking up 10 points before the break. The Spartan assault continued after the break, with a 9-2 burst over the first four minutes putting STAC in a comfortable 50-18 command. Georgian Court would finally begin to find the range from the field but it was far too little, too late.
In addition to Kellman, Aaron Cust added 15 points and Marcus Henderson chipped in 10 points, seven assists, three steals and just two turnovers in running the Spartan point. Jordan Wejnert closed strong for the visitors, ending with a game-high 22 points, with teammate Keith Hughes adding 12.
The Spartans return to action on Wednesday, December 18, traveling to an East Coast Conference showdown with the University of Bridgeport. Game time is set for 7:00 pm, as the back end of a double-header with the women's teams. They then return to Aquinas Hall for another conference match-up when Dowling College pays a call on Saturday, December 21, with tipoff set for 3:00 pm, following the women's game at 1:00.