The St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball team closed the regular season with a 77-64 East Coast Conference victory over Dowling College. Seniors Alyson Brennan, KC Sokolski, and Lexi Breheny were honored in pregame ceremonies. With their fifth straight win, STAC improved to 18-10 overall and 11-9 in the ECC, while Dowling's season ended at 3-23, 3-17.

STAC ended the regular season tied for fifth place with Molloy College in the conference standings, and will take the #6 sead into the post-season tournament, which starts at the home site of the #3 seed on Wednesday, March 2. Time and location are still to be determined.

Six lead changes punctuated a tight first quarter that saw the Lady Spartans grabe a 14-12 edge on a Kate McCue lay-up. Brennan converted a three-point-play to cap a 10-3 second quarter run, and the hosts held a 35-28 lead at the break.

Jenna Erickson hit a pair of threes early in the third, and the Lady Spartans used a 14-0 run to blow the game open at 57-33, as the hosts cruised from there.

Erickson and Sokolski had 13 points each and Alex Bertolino added 11 for St. Thomas Aquinas. Kayla Hill and Krstyna Surlan tied for the game high with 17 each for the Golden Lions, who were outrebounded by a decisive 48-20 margin.

With only tomorrow's game between Queens and Daemen remaining in the regular season, NYIT has clinched the top seed and a first round bye entering the tournament, with Roberts Wesleyan at #4, Molloy at #5, and STAC at #6. If Queens wins tomorrow, they take the #2 seed and the Lady Spartans will travel to UDC. If Queens loses, STAC will travel to play Queens on Wednesday.

- Steve Balsan, St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information

- Photo by Dorice Arden