The St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball team posted a big second half to record an 85-73 East Coast Conference victory over New York Institute of Technology at Aquinas Hall. Sam Burden led five Lady Spartans in double-figures with 17 points as her team improved to 11-11 overall and 7-10 in the ECC, with the upset dropping NYIT to 15-8, 11-6. The win was the second in a week over a top-four team in the ECC, with STAC topping Queens one week ago.
Each team took turns on top in the first half, which saw 11 lead changes and the score tied on six occasions. Both teams held a lead of as many as four points but no higher until the final 90 seconds of the half. With the Bears holding a 31-30 advantage with three minutes left, Colleen Ames hit a pair of big three pointers to key a 10-0 run, as a late Tech hoop snapped the streak and left the hosts with a 40-33 lead at the break.
NYIT appeared ready to take charge with the first four points of the second half but STAC rallied back with the next six of their own to take a 46-37 advantage. The Bears would roar back with authority as a 10-0 outburst gave them a one-point lead, and again the teams played tug-o-war with the lead.
With the score tied at 50-50. the Lady Spartans went on what proved to be the decisive run. Alyson Brennan and Lexi Breheny gave STAC a four-point lead, and five straight points by Burden put the hosts ahead 61-52 with seven minutes to go. In all, a 22-7 tear put the Lady Spartans in a 72-57 cushion and would lead by double-digits virtually the rest of the way.
In addition to Burden, Kaitlyn McCue had a dominant first half en route to 15 points and a game-high 13 boards, Olsen and Ames chipped in 13 points each, and Brennan added 12 to STAC's second-highest offensive output of the season. Dina Ragab paced the Bears, pouring in a game-high 18 points with teammate Audrey Knowlton adding 15.
Three games remain in the regular season for the Lady Spartans, starting with a trip to Long Island to face LIU-Post at 1:30 on Saturday, February 22. They then close with two at home, welcoming Molloy College on Monday, February 24 in a 5:30 start, before celebrating Senior Day at Aquinas Hall on Sunday, March 2, in a 1:00 tip against Roberts Wesleyan College.