The St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball team came up short in a 90-42 defeat at Merrimack College on Wednesday. Sara Oliviera led the Lady Spartans with 12 points as STAC has dropped two straight to fall to 4-7 overall. Merrimack improved to 8-2 with the non-conference victory.

After a Bianca Kowgios bucket broke the seal on the scoring 15 seconds into play, the hosts removed much of the doubt, reeling off the next 15 points en route to a 29-6 run.

Led by Chloe Rothman's game-high 18 points, Merrimack shot a torrid 55% from the field (36-62), including 11-for-23 (48%) from behind the three-point arc, while STAC was held to just 31% (15-48) from the floor. Kelly Schatzlein dominated the glass for the hosts with a game-high 18 rebounds.

The Lady Spartans will return to action on December 30 when they travel to face LeMoyne College in a non-conference tilt, before returing to Aquinas Hall to start the new year when they square off with Roberts Wesleyan in an East Coast Conference match-up on January 5.