Sparkill, N.Y. - A 40-point second half surge propelled the St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team past Felician University, 74-69 on Sunday afternoon at Aquinas Hall Gym.

The victory gave STAC a sweep of its tip-off classic and moves them to 2-0 on the young season, while Felician evened its record at 1-1.

DeVante Jamison led the way for the Spartans, posting 18 points, while Jamal Barnes (15 points) and James Patterson (10 points) also scored in double-figures.

STAC shot 42.9 percent from the field (27-63) and 38.5 percent from behind the arc (10-26), while Felician shot 49.2 percent (30-61) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine different players recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• DeVante Jamison led the Spartans with seven assists on the day.
• Jamison made 7 of his 15 field goal attempts, while Jamal Barnes went 5-of-12 from the floor.
• STAC out rebounded Felician 46-26 through 40 minutes of action, with Kyle Jones posting a team-leading eight boards.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up four steals in the contest, with Felician turning the ball over on eight different occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in four team statistical categories over the Golden Falcons: Second Chance Points (11-5), Points in the Paint (30-28), Fastbreak Points (9-6) and Bench Points (23-5).

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After an opening first minute filled with turnovers and missed chances by both squads, STAC held a slim 8-6 lead with 16 minutes to play in the stanza.
• Back and forth play kept the visitors within one (15-14) at the under 12 minute media timeout.
• Felician took over the lead, going on an 18-4 run over the next four minutes to hold a 32-19 advantage.
• St. Thomas Aquinas cut into the deficit, going on a run of their own (11-7) to narrow the scoreboard to 39-30 with four minutes to play before halftime.
• One more mini burst of scoring by the Golden Falcons gave them a 45-34 lead at the break.
• DeVante Jamison paced the Spartan offense with nine first-half points, while Jaylen Colon led all scorers with 13 points for Felician.
• When the teams returned to the court, Felician extended its lead to 14, before STAC battled back to make it an eight-point margin at the under 16 media timeout.
• St. Thomas Aquinas kept the pressure on, making defensive stops and capitalizing on their offensive opportunities to tie the score up at 52-52 with a little over eleven and a half minutes to play.
• A seesaw affair broke out between the sides, the teams were matching each other shot for shot, keeping the game within one to two points and tied at points for seven minutes.
• A James Patterson layup finally gave STAC a smidge of breathing room at 67-64 with 4:11 to play. That opening, allowed the Spartans to muscle its way to a fantastic finish, on the strength of key baskets and free throw opportunities by DeVante Jamison and Jamal Barnes, along with a strong defensive effort, to take the victory, 74-69.

UP NEXT

St. Thomas Aquinas returns to action on Wednesday, November 16 at Le Moyne College, with opening tip between the Spartans and Dolphins set for 7:00 p.m. at Ted Grant Court in Syracuse, N.Y.