Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team earned its second straight victory on Sunday, a 67-46 decision over D'Youville University at Aquinas Hall.

STAC improves to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in ECC play, while D'Youville slips to 5-11 and 3-3.

Sarah Ericson once again led the way for the Spartans, recording a game-high 24 points, while teammate Erin Leary (16 points) also posted double figures in scoring.

STAC shot 44.1 percent (26-59) from the field, while D'Youville shot 29.8 percent (17-57) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Bailey Chapman, Sarah Ericson, Trinity Cheatom, Erin Leary and Angelique Holguin led the maroon and gold with two assists apiece on the afternoon.
• Ericson hit 10 of her 16 field goal attempts, with three going in from downtown. Meanwhile, Leary went 5-of-14 from the floor and 3-for-7 from distance.
• D'Youville out-rebounded STAC by a 41-36 margin, with Sarah Ericson grabbing a game-high nine boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up nine steals, with the Saints turning the ball over on 24 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in three team statistical categories over D'Youville: Points off Turnovers (18-4), Second Chance Points (13-6) and Points in the Paint (26-20).
• The game featured one tie and no lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• STAC raced out to a 18-9 advantage in the first quarter, as Erin Leary, Sarah Ericson, Bailey Chapman, Angelique Holguin, Trinity Cheatom took it to the Saints early and often in the stanza.
• The Spartans then opened the second quarter with a 12-0 run, courtesy of buckets by Cheatom, Leary, Ericson, and Chapman to expand its lead to 21 at 30-9.
• D'Youville dusted itself off and was able to pick up eight straight points to close its deficit to 30-17, forcing STAC Head Coach Bill Cleary to call a timeout to settle the troops.
• Delaney Finnegan and Joline Raposo helped to stem the tide from the Saints with big baskets, and along with Sarah Ericson and Erin Leary got the maroon and gold to the locker room with a 12-point advantage, 38-26.
• Sarah Ericson led all scorers with 12 first half points for the Spartans, while Anna Jankovic recorded seven points for the Saints.
• When the teams returned to the hardwood following the break, STAC continued to try and distance themselves from D'Youville on the scoreboard. Erin Leary and "Main Event" Sarah Ericson were the driving force behind that mission, with the duo combining to score 13 points in the first seven minutes of the stanza to make it a 51-38 game.
• Karolina Jaruseviciute, Leary and Joline Raposo racked up seven straight points to close the scoring in the frame and give St. Thomas Aquinas a commanding 58-35 advantage through 30 minutes of action.
• Bailey Chapman opened the fourth and final quarter with a pair of jump shots, one coming inside the arc and one coming from long range, answering a pair of D'Youville free throws to make it 63-37.
• Despite the Saints outscoring the Spartans by a 9-4 margin over the final seven minutes of the contest, it would not be enough to make a dent in STAC's double-digit lead, as strong defense helped seal the 21-point victory for the maroon and gold.

UP NEXT:

STAC continues its four-game homestand, hosting the University of the District of Columbia on Wednesday, January 24. The Spartans and Firebirds will battle inside of Aquinas Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m.