The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team meets LIU Post in the semi-finals of the ECC Men's Basketball Tournament at the University of the District of Columbia. Check here for the latest LIVE updates... (Spartans defeat LIU Post, 85-58)
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7:08 - Final minute and the teams are letting it play out. STAC 82-58.
7:01 - Final media time out. Barring something miraculous, the Spartans are on their way back to the finals. 3:51, Burns to shoot a pair with Post trailing, 75-54.
6:58 - 5:25 from the final, the Spartans are starting to work the clock and time is running out on the Pioneers. 73-52.
6:55 - With 6:55 left, Jared Hall is whistled for a backcourt foul and goes to the bench with his 5th (13 points). Lawton makes the score 71-50 with 6:51 left.
6:51 - Finally, a couple of minutes of action after fouls bring the game to a grinding halt. The Spartans have yet to deal the knockout blow, but time is becoming a factor as Shaq to the rack makes the score 67-50 with 7:43 left.
6:42 -Dotson is on the bench. deCourtenay scores with a beautiful move in the paint, and pressure again forces an errant pass on the ensuing inbound. Time out, LIU Post. 10:20 to go, 65-44, Spartans.
6:40 - Shaq is back. He's fouled on an offensive board and makes 1-of-2, on Dotson's 4th foul. The Spartans turn up the pressure in their own right, and suddenly the lead is back to 63-43. Both teams are over the foul limit with 11 minutes left.
6:37 - Lawton to the bench with his 4th foul, three picked up quickly in the second half. Media time out with 11:56 left and STAC up, 59-43. Mitchell will be going to the line for two shots. Pioneers have started to press, can they keep this tempo with the Spartans? Has STAC weathered the storm?
6:35 - Here come the Pioneers; tha gap is trimmed to 57-43, with a missed layup that could have closed to 12. STAC's offense is struggling as the Pioneers make their run. 13:00 left.
6:33 - McFarlan back in the game.
6:31 - Reyes, who has been quiet, finishes on a third attempt to give STAC an 18-point lead. Injury update - McFarlan has not returned but is on the bench and appears ready to do so.
6:29 - Media timout with the Spartans holding a 55-39 lead. Post has trimmed the gap from a high of 20, and the Pioneers have shown the ability to come from behind in the season's final weeks. Still a long way to go in this one, 15:45 left.
6:22 - Straight from the timeout, pressure forces a turnover and the "Gold Wave" is off to the races as Reyes finishes the 3-on-0 with a jam. 53-35.
6:20- The track meet is on as the teams quickly exchange hoops, the pace the Spartans enjoy. Pressure forces a Pionner timeout in the front court; 18:14 left, STAC 51-35 (largest lead of the game).
6:18 - Two quick fouls one each way to start the half. McFarlan goes down away from the ball and remains prone. Refs check replay to see if any infraction is evident, and a flagrant foul is called on Barrington Alston, his third. McFarlan walks to the bench under his own power and to a nice hand. Watler hits both free throws 19:06 left, 47-32 after a delay of a few minutes.
6:10 - Not the Spartans' best half of the season, but good enough for a 13-point lead. STAC created some opportunities particularly early, but failed to finish on several. The Pioneers have hung around largely on the strength of Dotson, and managed to get the pace slowed to a more halfcourt style, though the Spartans managed to increase their lead. Teams are on the floor. Second half coming, 20 minutes to the finals for tonight's winner.
5:57 - Halftime, 45-32 STAC. Dotson has been a bright spot for Post with a game-high 17, but Reyes makes one of two to give his team its largest lead at 45-30. Post Coach Eric Smiles calls time with 12.8 seconds left, in the last possession of the half, Dotson converts an alley-oop at the buzzer.
5:54 - Lawton hits a fall-away three and the Spartans have suddenly opened a 40-28 lead. Time out, Pioneers. 1:29 in the half.
5:52 - Dotson misses a pair from the line, and Aaron Cust drains a left-corner three for a 37-28 lead, 2:25 left
5:50 - Correction - Dotson has one foul, Dillion Burns and Barrington Alston have two each for Post.
5:44 - Final media time out of the half, 3:56 left, Pioneers draw to within 31-27. Dan Wilson will go to the line for two after the break, with Dotson committing his second foul.
5:40 - Mitchell goes to the bench with his 2nd foul, but Hall misses the front end. 5:08 left, STAC 29-23. Greg Dotson keeping Post in it with a game-high 11.
5:34 - A spectacular finish by an off-balance McFarlan from in close give the Spartans a 27-20 lead at the 7:47 media time out. In spite of the growing lead, STAC has missed a few from in close and their pressure is giving the Pioneers trouble. Post ball out of the timeout, backcourt inbound.
5:31 - Pioneers are playing an agressive man to keep the ball out of Watler's hands, but he hits a catch-and-fire three from the right corner, and the Spartans draw a charge on the inbound. Biggest lead of the game - STAC 23, Post 18
5:29 - During the break, officials check on Akosa Maduebugunum's distance shot and confirm that it's a three pointer. Score remains 18-15.
5:26- The lead changes hands as both teams battle, Post converting from outside to stay in the game, Sam Berlin hits a couple from in close. STAC 18, Post 16, 10:33 left. Spartans ball after an offensive foul.
5:18 - First media time out after a Dillon Burns foul. James Mitchell will take two when the teams return; 15:47 left, score tied 8-8. STAC's pressure has caused some early opportunities but they have not finished. The foul is the 2nd for Burns.
5:13 - Warnings are issued early as players get tangled fighting for position. STAC 6-3, 18:08 left.
5:09 - deCourtenay misses from in close but gets the rebound and kicks to Mitchelll for a trey. Spartans grab a quick 3-0 lead 22 seconds in.
5:08 - Slight delay waiting for the TV open to wrap, players waiting on the court, then go back to the bench. An inauspicious start. Reyes wins the tip, and we're underway...
5:05 pm - Anthems played, starters being announced. For STAC, James Mitchell, Chaz Watler, Justin Reyes, Shaq McFarlan, Jules deCourtenay. For LIU Post - Aary Bibens, Jared Hall, Dillon Burns, Barrington Alston, Greg Dotson.
4:50 pm - Teams are on the floor and we're about 18 minutes from scheduled tipoff. A little past the 5:00 tip time, after the completion of this afternoon's Women's Tournament semis, which saw Queens and Roberts Wesleyan advance.
Injury report, all of the Spartans are in uniform for today's game and expected to play.