The #3 seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball team hosts #6 seed Molloy College this Wednesday night, February 29, at 7:00 pm in the first round of the East Coast Conference women's basketball tournament. Come out to Aquinas Hall and Rock your Maroon and Gold as our Lady Spartans begin their drive for the championship!
What's Happening? - The 2012 East Coast Conference Women's Basketball Tournament, featuring the top six teams in the conference. Two quarter-final match-ups will take place on Wednesday, with the other sporting #5 NYIT traveling to face #4 CW Post.
What's at Stake? - Wednesday's winners advance to the ECC semi-finals, to be held this Saturday, March 3, at Queens College. The winner of the STAC-Molloy game will face #2 seed University of District of Columbia at 2:30 pm, and the winner of the Post-NYIT tilt will square off with #1 seed Dowling in the day's first match at noon.
Saturday's winners advance to the Championship Final - also at Queens College - on Sunday, March 4 at noon, with the tournament champions earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Who's Playing? - The torrid Lady Spartans (16-10 overall, 11-5 ECC) enter the post-season as the ECC's hottest team, having emerged victorious in their last seven straight and nine of 10 overall. Molloy (11-15, 7-9) held off the University of Bridgeport to secure the 6th seed and qualify for the post-season. While they have lost their last two games, they won four of their previous six, including a late-season victory over top-seed Dowling.
How Did the Prior Meetings Go? - STAC and Molloy split their season series, with each team holding serve on its home court.
January 4, 2012 - Molloy captured a 55-42 decision at Quealy Gym in Rockville Centre. Jessica DeNicola's 20 points led the way for the Lions as a second half surge spelled the difference in a close affair. Amanda Bartlett added 14 for Molloy, while Briana Sloper (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Bianca Kowgios (10 points) led the charge for STAC.
February 4, 2012 - Exactly one month from their previous tussle, the Lady Spartans gained revenge with a 77-65 win at Aquinas Hall. Again, a second-half burst was key, as STAC turned a one-point halftime lead into a 21-point advantage down the stretch. Bianca Kowgios was on fire with 27 points, Ashley Motrechuk added 16, and Shpresa Liharevic posted 14 for the Lady Spartans. Amanda Bartlett paced Molloy with 15, Jessica DeNicola recorded 14, and Ikema Ross chipped in with 10 for the Lions.
Where Can I Watch? - Cozy Aquinas Hall promises to be the place to be, as the Spartan faithful are encouraged to be loud and proud! But if you can't get to the game, you can catch all the action live via streaming video as STAC's own broadcast team of Steve Balsan and John Dwinell will provide all the action from tip-off to buzzer, with pre-game starting at approximately 6:45 (just click the "Video" link at the top of this page). And as an added bonus, be sure to check out our Live Stats feature to keep up with all of the numbers in real time!
This will be the final home game of the 2011-12 basketball season. It's time to be part of the Maroon and Gold Rush and show the Lady Spartans the home court advantage they've earned as they battle toward the East Coast Conference title!