The St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball team began the 2014 calendar year with four scorers in double-figures in a 72-54 East Coast Conference victory over Daemen College at Aquinas Hall. STAC improves to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in the ECC with the win, with Daemen falling to 3-8, 1-5.

Both teams showed early signs of rust coming off the extended holiday break, with Daemen grabbing an early 4-0 lead and holding an 8-7 edge in just over five minutes of action. A Lexi Breheny jumper would change the momentum, however, setting STAC off on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes, providing a lead the hosts would not relinquish.

A pair of Kristen Olsen three-point bombs staked the Lady Spartans to a 29-16 lead with seven minutes remaining in the half, and a Breheny bucket two minutes later put STAC in it's biggest lead to that point at 33-19. The Wildcats would claw back with a 10-1 run of their own to pull to within 34-29 before settling for a 36-29 halftime deficit after Briana Cook's layup.

After Olsen put her squad up by nine with a basket to open the second half, Daemen once again pulled to within five points at 38-33 but the Lady Spartans were undaunted. Sara Oliviera would get the ball rolling with a trey to spur an 8-0 run, putting the home squad up by double-figures to stay. That margin would be extended to as many as 22 points as the Lady Spartans cruised to victory.

Olsen and Samantha Burden led the balanced attack with 14 points each for STAC, with Breheny adding 12. Briana Cook was tough on both ends, with 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Raeann Stillwill recorded a game-high 15 points for the Wildcats, with teammate Natalie Galus posting an impressive 11 points, game-high 11 rebounds, and four blocks.

The Lady Spartans return to action this Wednesday, January 8, when Queens College pays a visit to Aquinas Hall for an East Coast Conference battle. Tipoff is at 5:30, as a double-header before the men's teams take the floor. They will be back on Saturday, January 11 to host Molloy College in another conference tilt beginning at 1:00 pm.