Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team opened the conference-portion of its schedule on Saturday with a convincing 73-59 win over Mercy University at Aquinas Hall Gym.

STAC improves to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in ECC play, while Mercy falls to 6-2 and 0-1.

Sarah Ericson led the way for the Spartans, posting a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Trinity Cheatom (21 points) and Erin Leary (12 points) also scored in double figures.

STAC shot 42.4 percent (25-59) from the field, while Mercy shot 37.3 percent (19-51) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Trinity Cheatom led the maroon and gold with five assists on the afternoon.
• Sarah Ericson made 5 of her 10 field goal attempts, while Cheatom hit 6 of 16 shots from the floor and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.
• STAC and Mercy each recorded 35 rebounds, with Sarah Ericson grabbing a game-high 13 boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 13 steals, with the Mavericks turning the ball over on 21 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in five team statistical categories over Mercy: Points off Turnovers (24-10), Second Chance Points (8-7), Points in the Paint (38-28), Fastbreak Points (2-0) and Bench Points (17-0).
• The game featured 13 ties and nine lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• STAC opened the game with a 10-3 run, as Trinity Cheatom and Karolina Jaruseviciute led the charge early for the maroon and gold.
• Nine straight points by Mercy flipped the scoreboard and gave the visitors a 12-10 advantage.
• The teams battled for the remainder of the stanza, matching each other shot for shot until the buzzer with the sides tied 19-19 through the first 10 minutes of action.
• Liliana Kramer's jumper got things started in the second quarter, with Erin Leary extending the Spartans lead to five with a jumper of her own, this one from downtown, to make it 24-19.
• However, the Mavericks clawed back once again with six straight points to retake the lead, 25-24.
• Emily Strunk, Sarah Ericson, Trinity Cheatom and Joline Raposo combined for nine points to put STAC back ahead 35-29 with under two minutes to play before halftime.
• Four free throws by Mercy cut their deficit, but two baskets by Trinity Cheatom in the final 40 seconds kept the maroon and gold in the lead, 39-33 at the break.
• Trinity Cheatom paced the Spartans with 15 first half points, while Katie Wall led all scorers with 22 points for the Mavericks.
• When the teams returned to the hardwood for the second half, Mercy quickly rattled off nine straight points to open the frame, retaking the lead at 42-39.
• Sarah Ericson and Erin Leary would flip the scoreboard once again in favor of the Spartans with a pair of jumpshots to make it 43-42.
• Free throws by Trinity Cheatom and Bailey Chapman kept the game in check, while an Erin Leary trey put the Spartans ahead by four in the final minute of the third quarter, 52-48.
• Mercy would close the stanza with a bucket in the final seconds to trail by just two points, 52-50.
• Bailey Chapman opened the final quarter with a bucket to extend the Spartans lead to four, 54-50.
• Up one (54-53), STAC would go on a 6-2 run courtesy of Emily Strunk, Sarah Ericson and Trinity Cheatom to go ahead 60-55 with five and a half minutes to play in regulation.
• Sarah Ericson, Erin Leary and Megan Fedor would combine to score the final 13 points for STAC, with Mercy only being able to muster four points down the stretch, as the hosts from Sparkill closed things out for the 73-59 victory.

UP NEXT:

STAC heads to our nation's capital, for a Wednesday evening (December 6) ECC tilt with the University of the District of Columbia. Tip-off between the Spartans and Firebirds is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson Sports Complex.