Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team picked up its fourth straight victory with a gritty, 65-55 victory over the College of Staten Island on Saturday afternoon at Aquinas Hall.

STAC improves to 5-9, 4-1 ECC, on the season, while the visiting Dolphins drop to 3-10 and 1-5 in conference play.

Alexa Huertas led the way for the Spartans, posting 24 points, while Sarah Ericson (11 points) and Victoria Kurisko (11 points) also scored in double-figures.

STAC shot 48.1 percent from the field (26-54) and 42.9 percent from three-point (9-21) in the conference tilt, while Staten Island shot 38.5 percent (20-52) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven different players recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Chanel Brodeur-Muir led the Spartans with five assists on the day.
• Alexa Huertas made 9 of her 14 field goal attempts and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, while Victoria Kurisko went 5-for-9 from the floor.
• STAC out rebounded Staten Island 39-22 through 40 minutes of action, with Victoria Kurisko leading the way for the Spartans with eight boards.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up six steals in the contest, with the Dolphins turning the ball over on 18 different occasions.
• The Spartans scored 24 points in the paint to Staten Island's 16 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• STAC jumped out to an early 12-0 lead in the first quarter and were able maintain a six-point advantage through the first ten minutes of play, leading CSI 17-11.
• Second quarter action saw the visiting Dolphins chip away at their deficit and were able to take the lead at 21-20 with just under six minutes to go before halftime, forcing the Spartans to call a timeout in order to regroup.
• St. Thomas Aquinas would retake the lead moments later and expand it by as much a eight (29-21), before CSI would once again battle back to make it a five-point contest, at 29-24. 
• STAC would score once more before the half on a Karolina Jaruseviciute jumper late in the frame to take a 31-24 advantage into the locker room at the break.
• Alexa Huertas led all scorers with 11 points in the first half, while Ashley Lambert posted eight points for Staten Island.
• The teams would return to the floor for third quarter action, trading baskets, with STAC holding slim one or two-point margins for most of the stanza. The Spartans were able to push their lead to as much as 10 late in the frame, thanks in large part to Alexa Huertas' three consecutive three-point jumpers to make it 45-35 after 30 minutes of action.
• In the fourth quarter, STAC expanded its lead to 13 (54-41) and were able to sustain an attempted comeback by CSI, who closed the gap to six with just over a minute to play. However, the Spartans pushed their lead back to 10 and held it there to pick up the victory.

UP NEXT:

St. Thomas Aquinas hosts ECC foe Daemen College on Friday, January 21 at Aquinas Hall Gym. Tip-off between the Spartans and Wildcats is scheduled for 5:30pm in Sparkill.