The St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball overcame a slow start for its fifth straight win, a 58-52 triumph at Dominican College. Adiya Henderson had a team-high 14 points to boost the Lady Spartans to 5-0, while dropping Dominican to 2-3.
Playing their fifth game in 10 days, STAC struggled early, remaining scoreless over the first five minutes of play and trailing by an early 12-2 count. Alex Bertolino and Alyson Brennan each converted three-pointers as the Lady Spartans drew to within 15-8 after one quarter.
For the second time in as many days it was the Lady Spartans' defense keeping the score within reach as STAC would draw within three points of the Chargers on four different occasions in the second quarter, but each time the hosts would allow the margin no closer before taking a 27-22 halftime lead.
After Shannon McGill converted from deep in the first minute of the third quarter, Dominican held a 32-24 lead before STAC's attack would respond. Brennan responded with a trey, and Henderson would hit a basket and a pair of free throws to make the score 32-31. The Lady Spartans would finally tie the game at 35-35 on a Jenna Erickson jumper, and take the lead for the first time a minute later on another Bertolino three, putting STAC up 38-37. Dominican would carry a 41-40 lead into the final session on a Lisa Bouffard hoop in the waning seconds of the third quarter.
Bertollino keyed another burst early in the fourth, as her three-point play staked the Lady Spartans to a 48-43 egde with seven to play. The Chargers answered with the next nine straight points - five from Deja Gabbidon and four from Rebecca Riberio, and seemed to be back in the driver's seat with under three minutes left.
STAC trailed, 52-48, when Henderson hit a free throw with 2:30 left and added a hoop with 1:44 to play to cut the deficit back to one. That touced off a game-ending 10-0 run, as Alyson Brennan's lay-up with 28 seconds left gave the visitors the lead for good as five foul shots in the final seconds provided the ultimate margin.
Bertolino added 13 for St. Thomas Aquinas, while Bouffard posted a game-high 16 for the Chargers and Gabbidon added 15. STAC crashed the glass, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds while forcing 23 turnovers on the afternoon.
St. Thomas Aquinas basketball has started the 2015-16 season in torrid fashion. The Lady Spartans' 5-0 record is currently the best in the entire region, and marks the best start of Coach Kim Lusk's eight years at the helm. On the men's side, Tobin Anderson's Spartans also came away with a weekend sweep at Dominican, improving their mark to 4-1 overall. The combined 9-1 start is believed to be the best in the history of the STAC basketball program.
The Lady Spartans will now enjoy a lengthy Thanksgiving break, returning to action to start the East Coast Conference schedule at New York Institute of Technology on Wednesday, December 2, with game same set for 7:00 pm.
- Steve Balsan, St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information
- Photo by Dorice Arden