The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team, ranked #6 in the nation, held off a late charge for a 79-73 victory over Stonehill College at Aquinas Hall. The Spartans are now 5-0 overall with Stonehill dropping to 3-3, as STAC won its 23rd consecutive regular-season game and 12th overall at home.

Justin Reyes' hoop keyed an early burst as the Spartans jumped to an early 14-5 lead after six minutes of action. Stonehill's patient approach frustrated the hosts, and Ryan Logan's jumper with 7:43 left gave the Skyhawks the lead, and Jim Walsh's three 30 seconds later capped a 20-7 run for a 25-21 advantage.

Aaron Cust put STAC back on top and Chaz Watler followed from deep to lead to a 34-29 halftime advantage. Shaq McFarlan's jumper gave the Spartans their biggest margin at 61-50 with nine minutes left, but Stonehill continued to battle, trailing just 70-62 with four minutes left and setting the stage for a late push.

A Logan three closed the gap to 72-70 with under two to play, and after Watler made one-of-two from the line, Isaish Bess hit again from deep to tie the score with one minute left. Reyes scored the decisive hoop, losing and the regaining possession for a finish in close with 44 seconds left, and defensive pressure forced a turnover, leading to a pair of Watler free throws to seal the deal.

Reyes spurred the Spartans with game highs of 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Watler and Jon Lawton added 13 each. Bess hit five threes to lead Stonehill with 17 points, as STAC forced 18 turnovers while only yielding nine.

The Spartans open their East Coast Conference schedule on Wednesday, November 30, hosting Roberts Wesleyan at Aquinas Hall. The game is the back end of a double-header and will start at approximately 7:30 pm, following the women's game starting at 5:30.