Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team could not keep up with the high-powered offense of Bentley University on Saturday evening, falling to the visiting Falcons, 67-50 at Aquinas Hall.
STAC slides to 1-3 on the year, while Bentley improves to 4-0.
Sarah Ericson and Emily Strunk both led the way for the Spartans, posting nine points apiece, while freshman Delaney Finnegan recorded eight points and played a strong game for the maroon and gold.
STAC shot 35.0 percent from the field (21-60), while Bentley shot 47.2 percent (25-53) from the floor.
STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:
- Ten Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest.
- Megan Fedor, Bailey Chapman, Trinity Cheatom, Karolina Jaruseviciute, Liliana Kramer and Emily Strunk each picked up an assist on the evening for the maroon and gold.
- Sarah Ericson made 4 of her 9 field goal attempts, with Delaney Finnegan hitting 3 of 4 shots from the floor.
- STAC out-rebounded Bentley by a 39-28 margin, with Erin Leary grabbing a game-high six boards for the Spartans.
- St. Thomas Aquinas picked up two steals, with the Falcons turning the ball over on just nine separate occasions.
- The Spartans earned advantages in two team statistical categories over Bentley: Second Chance Points (14-5) and Points in the Paint (34-22).
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Bentley opened the non-conference matchup with 10 straight points, before an Emily Strunk layup and trey would break the shutout for the Spartans with six minutes to play in the first quarter.
- Another 14-2 run by the Falcons to close the opening stanza gave them a commanding 24-7 advantage through the first 10 minutes of play.
- Sarah Ericson and Delaney Finnegan combined to double the Spartans point total early in the second quarter to make it a 28-14 game, but Bentley would go on another streak, this one 15 to 0 to expand its lead to the largest of the game at 29 (43-14).
- An Ericson layup and jumper closed the first half scoring for the Spartans, as Bentley took a 44-20 lead into the halftime locker room.
- Bailey Champman's jumper, followed by an Erin Leary layup narrowed the deficit to 20 (44-24) and forced Bentley to call a timeout in order to reset.
- The visiting Falcons continued to score at-will, raining threes while STAC received modest scoring from Erin Leary, Delaney Finnegan, Megan Fedor and Sarah Ericson in the third stanza, as the Spartans continued to trail Bentley, 60-32.
- STAC put together its best quarter in the fourth, outscoring Bentley 18-7, with Megan Fedor, Kaitlyn Watrobski, Emily Strunk, Angelique Holguin, Bailey Chapman and Joline Raposo all making the most of their opportunities to help close the gap on the scoreboard from 28 to 17. However, it would not be enough to overcome the strong shooting of the Falcons from start to finish.
UP NEXT:
STAC hosts Post University in a pre-Thanksgiving showdown at Aquinas Hall Gym on Tuesday, November 21, with the opening tip set for 5:30 p.m.