The St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball team fell to a 58-55 East Coast Conference defeat at Molloy College. Adiya Henderson led four Lady Spartans in double-figures with 13 points, but her team fell to 13-7 overall and 6-6 in the ECC, with Molloy now standing at 6-14, 5-7.

In a game that was tight throughout, the lead changed hands on 10 occasions and the contest was tied on 10 others. The final tie came in the last minute, when Kimani Jackson's jumper snapped a 55-55 deadlock with 10 seconds left to lift the Lions to victory.

Sam Burden and Kate McCue chipped in with 11 for STAC, while Alex Bertolino recorded 10. Jackson tied for game high with teammate Ally Leftridge, with each scoring 17 points. The Lady Spartans hurt their cause from the foul line, converting just 60% (13-of-22).

A Burden three-pointer gave the Lady Spartans an early 7-6 lead, but Jackson rallied Molloy to an 8-0 run and a 14-7 advantage. STAC would score the next six points, however, and ended the quarter trailing by just one at 14-13.

Neither team gained a lead in excess of three points in the second quarter until Alexia O'Connor's trey made the score 29-25 in the final minute, but Burden and Alyson Brennan would score late to tie the game at half.

With the game tied at 36-36 Molloy embarked on a 9-1 burst to take their biggest lead at 45-36, but STAC recorded the next seven points extending into the fourth quarter to draw within one on a pair of Bertolino free throws with 6:47 left. Brennan's long distance shot gave her team a 50-49 lead with 4:36 left, but Jackson answered quickly to put the Lions back on top.

Henderson made one of two foul shots to tie the score before O'Connor's lay-up put Molloy back on top. Henderson added a pair of foul shots to tie the score at 53-53 with 1:18 left, but Jackson would again answer with 56 ticks remaining. Henderson drew the game even again from the line with 21 left, but Jackson's jumper with 10 seconds to go proved to be the decider as a late turnover sealed the Lady Spartans' fate.

The Lady Spartans return to action on Wednesday, February 3, hosting New York Institute of Technology in an ECC batlle. Game time is slated for 6:00 pm, as the front end of a double-header which will be followed by the men's game.

- Steve Balsan, St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information

- Photo by Dorice Arden