Blauvelt, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team scored 55 first half points enroute to a 102-83 victory over Nyack College on Friday to open the Dominican College Charger Tip-off in Blauvelt.
Eleven different players recorded a point for the Spartans (2-1), with Grant Singleton leading the way with 21 points. Osbel Caraballo (19 points), Antonio Vendola (13 points) and Demetre Roberts (12 points) also scored in double-figures on the evening.
STAC shot 50.0 percent from the field (42-84) in the tournament opener, while making 15-of-36 shots from behind the arc. Nyack shot 52.8% (28-53) and made half of their 18 three-point attempts.
STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:
- Nine different players recorded double-digit minutes in the contest.
- Grant Singleton and Osbel Caraballo led the Spartans with 5 assists each.
- Caraballo made 9 of his 11 field goal attempts on the day, with Singleton going 8-for-15.
- STAC scored the game's first basket at 19:11 of the first half on a Osbel Caraballo layup and only relinquished the lead on four occasions, but by no more than two points.
- The Spartans were 21-43 (48.8%) from the field in the first half and 21-41 (51.2%) in the second half.
- St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 11 steals on the night, while forcing 21 Nyack turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- St. Thomas Aquinas was strong from the opening tip, scoring its first basket 49 seconds into the game and taking that lead to the final buzzer.
- Grant Singleton paced the offense for the Spartans in the first half, with 14 points.
- STAC's largest lead in the first half was 24 (55-31) with 0:48 left in the opening frame.
- That trend continued into the second half, with STAC building a 27-point advantage with four minutes remaining the second stanza.
- STAC's bench scored 37 of the team's 102 total points.
- St. Thomas Aquinas logged 30 points off of turnovers and 46 points inside of the paint.
UP NEXT: St. Thomas Aquinas returns to the court on Saturday, facing off with cross-town rival Dominican College. The battle of Rockland County colleges will get underway 6:30pm inside of the Hennessy Center in Blauvelt, N.Y.