The St. Thomas Aquinas women's basketball team beat C.W. Post, 71-69. Briana Sloper scored a layup just before the buzzer to give STAC the win. Sloper had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Senior Theresa Dowling had 16 points and 9 rebounds for STAC while Leane Urbancik added 15 points and 4 rebounds.
The Pioneers used a 7-2 run to close out the half taking a 39-27 lead into the break. Nicolette Marciniak led all first half scorers with 10 points shooting 5-7 from the floor. Dowling had 8 of her 16 in the first half for STAC.
The Lady Spartans outscored the Pioneers 20-8 in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to tie the game a 47. Urbancik added 6 points in the run while Kowgios chipped in 5. A pair of Dowling free throws gave STAC a 49-48 lead with 10:20 on the clock. The Pioneers regained control with a 3-pointer from Kenyatta Sears on the next possession.
Urbancik scored at the 8:00 minute mark to knot things up, 56-56. Liharevic hit back to back 3-pointers, sandwiched around a pair of free throws from C.W. Posts' Felicia Joyner, to give STAC a 62-58 lead.
The Pioneers would not go away quietly as they put together a 6-0 run to take a 64-62 lead with 3:14 remaining. Senior Janea Aiken had 4 of the Pioneers 6 points in that stretch. Urbancik scored in the paint for STAC to even the score at 64 with 2:40 to go. Both teams scored again with a pair of free throws from Joyner and a layup from Sloper keeping the scored tied, 66-66 with 1:38 remaining.
A Pioneer turnover that ended up in the hands of freshman Riley Harrington gave the Lady Spartans an opportunity to regain the lead as Urbancik scored off an offensive rebound. The sophomore forward was 5-5 from the floor and 5-6 from the foul line.
Marciniak made one of two free throws for C.W. Post as the Pioneers trailed 68-67 with 38 seconds remaining. Bianca Kowgios was fouled and hit 1 of 2 to give STAC a 69-67 lead with 21 seconds to go. Aiken drove up the middle and connect on a layup to tie the game with 6.8 seconds remaining.
Sloper received the inbounds pass and drove the length of the court scoring the game winning basket with .2 left on the clock giving STAC the win. Sloper had 8 of her 11 points in the second half.
Kowgios finished with 15 points and 3 assists for STAC while Liharevic added 12. Aiken finished with 17 points for the Pioneers while Marciniak and Joyner added 15 and 12. C.W. Post held a 32-26 rebounding advantage over STAC.
The Lady Spartans move to 19-7 overall and 15-4 in the ECC. STAC will return to action on Wednesday when they host Bridgeport at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday's game will be senior night for Theresa Dowling.