Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team opened conference play on Saturday afternoon by racing past Mercy University, 106-74 at Aquinas Hall Gym.

STAC improves to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in ECC play, while Mercy slides to 0-8 and 0-1.

James Patterson led the way for the Spartans, posting 20 points, while Jamal Barnes (17 points) and Vasilis Tolias (16 points) also scored in double figures.

STAC shot 52.9 percent (37-70) from the field and 50.0 percent (14-28) from beyond the arc, while Mercy shot 36.9 percent (24-65) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eleven Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Rich Smith led the maroon and gold with six assists on the afternoon.
• James Patterson made 7 of his 13 field goal attempts, while Jamal Barnes hit 6 of 11 shots from the floor and went 5-for-8 from three.
• STAC out-rebounded Mercy by a 49-37 margin, with Vasilis Tolias grabbing a game-high nine boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up seven steals, with the Mavericks turning the ball over on 18 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in four team statistical categories over Mercy: Points off Turnovers (15-13), Second Chance Points (24-11), Points in the Paint (44-28) and Bench Points (52-30).
• STAC led the game from start to finish.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Spartans raced out to an 11-2 run, as Jamal Barnes, Vasilis Tolias, Lawrence Foreman, and Rich Smith all made their shots count early in the contest.
• Mercy fought back and climbed back into the game, cutting its deficit to just five, 16-11.
• However, STAC racked up 20 of 24 points over a six minute span to extend the maroon and gold lead to 39-17 with just over six and a half minutes to play before halftime.
• STAC maintained a 20 plus point advantage through the remainder of the first half and Vasilis Tolias' layup in the final 30 seconds of the stanza gave the hosts a commanding 25-point lead (60-35) at the break.
• James Patterson led all scorers in the first half with 17 points for the Spartans, while Alex May recorded 12 points for the Mavericks.
• The maroon and gold continued to score at-will in the second half. A 19-8 streak by the Spartans, with Rich Smith, Kyle Pulliam, Lawrence Foreman, Jamal Barnes, Vasilis Tolias, James Patterson, Ethan Millirons and Luis Risquez all contributing to the stat sheet through the first six minutes of the new frame, put STAC on top by 36 points at 79-43.
• St. Thomas Aquinas would hit the 100-point mark for the second time this season when Jordan Green would drain a shot from beyond the arc with four minutes to play in regulation to make it 100-65.
• STAC's largest lead of the game came with 2:13 remaining in the contest, as a Shaun Arnold layup put the maroon and gold up by 37 points (106-69)
• Green, Arnold, Javion Patterson, Deshawne Crim, Zion Ruckard and Michael Parrotta all saw additional time down the stretch, with the game well in hand. The six Spartans kept the game in check and made the most of their opportunities, as they were able to get defensive stops and score points on the other end of the floor.

UP NEXT:

STAC heads to our nation's capital, for a Wednesday evening (December 6) ECC showdown with the University of the District of Columbia. Tip-off between the Spartans and Firebirds is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson Sports Complex.