Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team advanced to its fifth straight ECC title game with a 79-71 victory over Roberts Wesleyan University in the semifinal round of the conference tournament, held at Aquinas Hall Gymnasium.

STAC improves to 24-5 overall and will face #3 seed Daemen University in the East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Final on Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m.) in Sparkill. Daemen defeated #2 College of Staten Island, 68-56 in the other semifinal matchup. Meanwhile, Roberts Wesleyan closes out its 2023-2024 campaign at 13-13 and 9-7 in league play.

James Patterson led the way for St. Thomas Aquinas with a game-high 22 points, while teammates Kyle Pulliam (20 points), Ethan Millirons (13 points) and Rich Smith (12 points) also posted double figures in scoring.

STAC shot 38.7 percent (24-62) from the field, while Roberts Wesleyan shot 36.6 percent (26-71) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest.
• Rich Smith led the maroon and gold with four assists on the afternoon.
• James Patterson hit 5 of his 15 field goal attempts, while also going 9-of-12 from the foul line. Meanwhile, Kyle Pulliam went 7-for-13 from the floor and 5-of-8 from the charity stripe.
• STAC out-rebounded Roberts Wesleyan by a 52-41 margin, with James Patterson and Rich Smith both grabbing a game-high 12 boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 10 steals, with the Redhawks turning the ball over on 21 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in three team statistical categories over Roberts Wesleyan: Second Chance Points (15-6), Bench Points (20-18) and Fastbreak Points (38-12).
• The game featured four ties and three lead changes.
• STAC's largest lead of the contest came with just under nine and a half minutes to play in the second half, when the Spartans led by 20 points, 62-42 on made three-pointer by Jamal Barnes.
• St. Thomas Aquinas led Roberts Wesleyan 43-32 at the half and shot 43.8 percent (14-of-32) from the field.
• James Patterson led all scorers with 15 first half points for the Spartans, while shooting 100.0 percent (5-of-5) from the field and from three (3-for-3).
• The Spartans were outscored 39-36 in the second stanza, but managed to hit several key free throws down the stretch to keep the Redhawks at arm's length until the final buzzer.

ROBERTS WESLEYAN NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight Redhawks logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Malik Brooks led Roberts Wesleyan with 19 points, while teammates Kevin Constant (12 points) and Ryan Garwood (10 points) also scored in double digits.
• Constant led RWU with four assists on the day.
• Malik Brooks went 8-for-19 from the floor, with Kevin Constant hitting 4 of his 12 field goal attempts.
• Brooks also grabbed eight boards for the Redhawks.
• Roberts Wesleyan picked up seven steals, with the Spartans turning the ball over on 21 separate occasions.
• The Redhawks earned one advantage in the team statistical categories over St. Thomas Aquinas: Points in the Paint (34-28).
• Roberts Wesleyan's largest lead of the contest came in the first minute of the opening half, when the visitors lead 2-0 on a Kevin Constant made layup.
• Malik Brooks led Redhawks with nine points in the opening half, while shooting 40.0 percent (4-for-10) from the field.
• The visiting Redhawks picked up 25 foul calls in the game with both Isaiah Elmore and Kevin Constant fouling out late in the second half.

UP NEXT:

#1 STAC and #3 Daemen will square off in the ECC Men's Basketball Tournament Final on Sunday afternoon, with an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament on the line. The teams will lock horns for the fourth straight title game, with the Spartans winning the previous three. The squads split their two regular season matchups in 2023-24, with STAC taking the first meeting at Aquinas Hall, 92-82 on January 19 before Daemen took the rematch at Lumsden Gymnasium, 87-82 on February 16.