Philadelphia, Pa. - Returning to the hardwood for their first game in almost three weeks, after a long holiday hiatus, the #7/13 nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas Men's Basketball team saw its nine-game win streak snapped in a 97-79 road setback to Jefferson University on Thursday afternoon at the Gallagher Center.
STAC slips to 11-2 overall, while Jefferson climbs back to the .500 mark at 6-6.
James Patterson led the way for the Spartans, posting a team-high 24 points, while teammate Kyle Pulliam (12pts) also recorded double-digit point totals.
STAC shot 39.7 percent from the field (27-68), while Jefferson shot 57.6 percent (34-59) from the floor and 45.5 percent (10-22) from beyond the arc.
STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:
- Eight Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest.
- James Patterson led the maroon and gold with three assists on the afternoon.
- Patterson made 7 of his 17 field goal attempts and went 9-for-13 from the charity stripe.
- Jefferson out-rebounded STAC by a slim 35-32 margin, with Lawrence Foreman, Rich Smith, Kyle Pulliam and Deshawne Crim each grabbing four boards for the Spartans.
- St. Thomas Aquinas picked up seven steals, with the Rams turning the ball over on 14 separate occasions.
- The Spartans earned advantages in three team statistical categories over Jefferson: Points off Turnovers (18-10), Second Chance Points (10-9) and Bench Points (23-13).
- The game featured no ties and one lead change.
JEFFERSON NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:
- Jefferson shot 70 percent (7-for-10) from three-point range in the first half and 62.5 percent (20-of-32) from the field in the second half, as the Rams racked up 54 points in the frame.
- Erik Timko led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 10-for-19 from the field, 5-for-12 from downtown and a perfect 3-for-3 from the foul line. Meanwhile, teammates and fellow starters Bismark Nsiah (18pts), Hakim Byrd (16pts), Ahmed Barba-Bey (12pts) and Antonin Kemkeng (10pts) also recorded double-digit point totals.
UP NEXT:
St. Thomas Aquinas College will now turn its attention back to East Coast Conference play, visiting Roberts Wesleyan University on Sunday, January 14. The Spartans and Redhawks will tip-off at 4:00 p.m. inside of the Voller Athletic Center in Rochester, N.Y.