The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team closed out the calendar year with a tough 68-66 non-conference victory at Bloomfield College. Justin Reyes recorded game-highs with 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Spartans improved to 7-4 overall, while Bloomfield fell to 3-8.
Each team had a turn with an early lead, with Bloomfield opening a 14-10 gap after eight minutes on a Safee Abdus-Sabur hoop. Justin Reyes bookended a 9-0 Spartan run with a pair of layups, giving the visitors their biggest lead at 19-14. The Deacons would respond with six straight points, but Chaz Watler's trey sparked an 8-0 outburst, giving STAC a lead that it would hold through a 37-32 halftime break.
Reyes extended the lead to 41-33 early in the second half, but Bloomfield burst to a 10-2 run to tie the score at 43-43 seven minutes into the half. Once again, the lead would change hands several times in the following minutes before the Spartans appeared to wrest control as a Dan Wilson layup made the score 63-56 with 2:25 left in regulation.
A pair of Rakwan Kelly foul shots and a duo of baskets from Abdus-Sabur kept the hosts alive, with a 63-62 deficit, though Abdus-Sabur would miss the potential tying free throw with 22 ticks remaining. A series of fouls resulted in Reyes stepping to the line but hitting just one of two with seven seconds remaining, giving the Deacons the ball with a two point deficit. With time elapsing, Abdus-Sabur's final attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, preserving a hard-fought road victory for St. Thomas Aquinas.
Watler added 15 points for STAC, including his milestone 1000th point as a member of the Spartans. Nick Davidson came off the Bloomfield bench to record 22 points for the Bears. The Spartans held Bloomfield to just 36% from the floor (19-53), and won the rebounding battle by a 39-36 total.
The Spartans will look to continue their momentum into the new year, hosting Georgian Court in a non-conference tilt this Saturday, January 2, at 2:00 pm at Aquinas Hall.
Happy New Year from St. Thomas Aquinas College Athletics!
- Steve Balsan, St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information
- Photo by Dorice Arden