The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team held off a late charge as Chaz Watler's buzzer-beater led the Spartans to a 92-90 victory over Southern Connecticut State University at the NCAA Division II East Regionals at Holy Family University.

*** Update - St. Thomas Aquinas will play #2 St. Anselm's College, which advanced withan 83-71 victory over Philadelphia University***

STAC has now won 21 straight games to improve to 27-4 on the season, while Southern Connecticut ended the season at 22-8. The Spartans led by as many as 12 points in the closing minutes before the Owls mounted a frantic charge, taking the lead in the final minute. James Mitchell's free throw tied the score, and STAC inbounded with 3.8 seconds left in the backcourt.

Watler took the feed and dribbled coast-to-coast, with his fallaway hitting net as time expired. Despite the immediate hysterics, the celebration was put on hold as officials closely studied the instant replay, eventually confirming that Watler's shot had beat the horn.

Southern's Michael Mallory led all scorers with 27 points, with teammate Austin Carter grabbing 16 caroms. Watler paced the Spartans with 26 points, with Reyes adding 25 and 12 boards.

After a fast start and several early lead changes, STAC grabbed control for the first time, as a Jon Lawton three pointer kicked off an outburst of eight points in 30 seconds, giving the Spartans a 24-15 lead. STAC held that lead until the final seconds of the first half, when a 7-0 Southern Connecticut burst put the visitors up, 48-47 with 29 seconds to play. Watler would foreshadow what was to come, as his last-second shot gave St. Thomas Aquinas a 49-48 halftime lead.

Each team would take turns with the lead after the break, but again the Spartans were the first to create distance, starting with a Chaz Watler trey to give STAC a 66-65 edge with 13:09 left. Aaron Cust followed quickly with a lay-up, and the Spartans were off to a 12-1 run, opening a 75-66 lead with nine minutes left.

STAC's lead would swell to as many as 13 at 81-68 with 5:50 to go, but Southern Connecticut was far from done. Three pointers by Michael Mallory and Joey Wallace jump-started the Owls, who were suddenly within 89-87 with 52 seconds to play, when a pair of Des Williams foul shots deadlocked the score.

After a Spartan turnover, a James Mitchell foul put Michael Mallory to the line, where he made one of two to give SCSU a 90-89 edge with 18 seconds left. Mitchell would then be sent to the line where he also made one of two with 16.8 to go to again tie the score.

With time ticking down, Wallace drove the baseline and hit a running layup, but Jon Lawton stood in to draw a charge, negating the hoop with 3.8 seconds left. After a Spartan time out, Watler took the inbound and went the length of the court, with his floater from the left side touching off a STAC celebration, which was quickly put on hold pending review, but was subesquently upheld.

McFarlan added 11 points and Lawton and Cust posted 10 each as the Spartans had five scorers hit double-figures.

The Spartans will now face the winner of this afternoon's game between #2 St. Anselm's College and #7 Philadelphia University on Sunday, with tip time scheduled for 5:00 pm.

- Steve Balsan, St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information

- Photo by Dorice Arden