Staten Island, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team rallied back from a seven-point deficit, late in the second half, and then held on to win its eighth consecutive contest, 79-77 over the College of Staten Island on Saturday afternoon at the CSI Sports & Recreation Center.

STAC moves to 10-1 overall and remains perfect in ECC play with a 3-0 mark. Meanwhile, CSI falls to 6-4 and 3-1.

Kyle Pulliam led the way for the Spartans with 20 points, while James Patterson (17pts), Lawrence Foreman (15pts) and Vasilis Tolias (12pts) also scored in double figures.

STAC shot 52.6 percent (30-57) from the field, with Staten Island shooting 42.0 percent (29-69) from the floor. 

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• James Patterson led the maroon and gold with seven assists on the afternoon.
• Kyle Pulliam made 7 of his 13 field goal attempts. Meanwhile, Lawrence Foreman went 7-for-9 from the floor.
• STAC out-rebounded Staten Island by a 33-29 margin, with Foreman and teammate James Patterson each grabbing a game-high eight boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 11 steals, with the Dolphins turning the ball over on 17 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in three team statistical categories over Staten Island: Second Chance Points (10-9), Points in the Paint (32-22) and Bench Points (19-12).
• The game featured seven ties and five lead changes.

UP NEXT: 

St. Thomas Aquinas closes out its schedule for calendar year 2023, visiting East Region foes Pace University on Saturday, December 16. Tip-off between the Spartans and Setters is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Health, Fitness & Recreation Center in Pleasantville, N.Y.