The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team won its 18th straight game in convincing fashion with a 102-76 East Coast Conference triumph over Dowling College. Lone senior John Bradley Saxton was honored in pregame ceremonies. The Spartans will carry their 24-4 overall record (18-2 ECC) into the post-season, with Dowling dropping to 13-14, 9-11.

STAC will next see action in the ECC Men's Basketball Tournament semi-finals on Saturday, March 5, at the University of the District of Columbia in a 5:00 pm start. The Spartans have the top seed and first round bye, along with #2 Daemen College. With a thrilling double-overtime victory Saturday, UDC moved up to the #3 seed, hosting #6 Mercy on Wednesday. LIU Post is in the #4 slot, hosting #5 University of Bridgeport on Wednesday.

Saxton got Senior Day started in spectacular fashion, draining a pair of threes in the first 1:08 to put the Spartans on top, 6-0. A James Mitchell trey gave the hosts an early 16-4 lead, but the Golden Lions chipped away, tying the score at 39-39 on an Ali Mableton jumper with 2:22 left in the half. Jon Lawton hit a jumper and a three in a 7-0 run, and STAC held a 48-41 cushion at the break.

Mableton's hoop drew Dowling to within five to start the second half, but Watler, Jon Lawton, and Shaq McFarlan caught fire from beyond the arc, with their three-point barrage keying a 14-4 run that gave STAC a 76-59 cushion midway through the session, enough to cruise to the victory.

Watler knocked down six of the Spartans' 15 three-pointers and had a game-high 23, leading five scorers in double-figures. Justin Reyes (17 points, 10 rebounds), Lawton (14 points), Jules deCourtenay and McFarlan (13 each) paced the STAC onslaught. Ali Mableton led four Dowling scorers in double-figures with 20. The Spartans shot an unconscious 15-28 (54%) from beyond the line for the night.

- Steve Balsan, St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information

- Photo by Dorice Arden