The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team got off to a slow start and never recovered in an 80-65 East Coast Conference loss to Roberts Wesleyan College at Aquinas Hall. The Spartans conclude the regular-season with a 13-13 overall mark, 9-11 in ECC play, with Roberts Wesleyan finishing their campaign at 12-14, 8-12.
St. Thomas Aquinas has earned the #5 seed and will travel to face #4 LIU-Post in the first round of the ECC Tournament on Wednesday, March 5. The winner of that contest will advance to the semi-finals and travel to face top-seeded Dowling College on Friday, March 7, with the winner of that affair advancing to the Championship Game on Sunday, March 9 at the highest remaining seed. The winner of the ECC Tourney secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament.
With little at stake in their regular-season finale, the Spartans stumbled out of the gate and never found their footing. Redhawks guard William Bromirski had a lot to do with that, draining four threes in the early going and putting the hosts in a hole from which they would not recover.
RWC scored the game's first eight points and opened a 14-3 lead just six minutes into the game. The Spartans started to battle back, but another 14-3 outburst staked the visitors to a 32-13 advantage. The Redhawks would lead by as many as 23 points in the first half and repelled any glimmer of hopes that STAC had for a second-half comeback.
Chaz Watler led four Spartans in double-figures with 12 points, with Marcus Henderson and Eli Maravich adding 11 each and Aaron Cust posting 10. Bromirski led five Roberts Wesleyan players in double-figures with a game-high 16 points, with teammate Tyrel Dixon adding 15 and a game-high 16 rebounds. RWC dominated the glass with a 46-26 rebounding margin.
The Spartans will look to keep their season going when the ECC Tournament tips off on Wednesday, with game time set for 7:00 pm. It is the first playoff appearance since the 2008-09 season for the men's squad, with their 13 wins standing as their highest total since the 2007-08 campaign.
Other first round action will see #6 Queens at #3 Molloy on Wednesday, with the winner of that game traveling to take on #2 seed Bridgeport on Friday.
ECC Men's Basketball Tournament
Wednesday, March 5 - Quarter-Finals
#5 St. Thomas Aquinas at #4 LIU-Post, 7:00 pm
#6 Queens at #3 Molloy
Friday, March 7 - Semi-Finals
STAC/Post winner at #1 Dowling
Queens/Molloy winner at #2 Bridgeport
Sunday, March 9 - Final
at highest remaining seed