Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team made the short trip across the Hudson River on Saturday afternoon to take on Mercy University. Tied 20-20 at the half, the host Mavericks outscored the Spartans 45-30 in second half action to take a 65-50 ECC decision at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center in Westchester County.

STAC slips to 4-14 overall and 2-6 in ECC play, while Mercy improves to 11-7 and 5-3. 

Syrita Faraj posted a team-high 18 points for the maroon and gold. Angelina Barrera led all scorers with 21 points for the Mavericks.

St. Thomas Aquinas shot 36.5 percent from the field (19-52), while Mercy shot 38.7 percent (24-62) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest.
• Karolina Jaruseviciute and Trinity Cheatom led the maroon and gold with three assists apiece on the afternoon.
• Syrita Faraj hit 7 of her 18 field goal attempts and all four of her free throws taken.
• Mercy out-rebounded STAC by 40-28 margin, with Faraj also grabbing a game-high seven boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas forced four steals, with the Mavericks turning the ball over on 11 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned an advantage in one team statistical category over Mercy: Bench Points (10-9).
• STAC had its largest lead of the game (10 points) with just under three and a half minutes to play in the opening frame, 12-2, on a Syrita Faraj jumper.
• The game featured four ties and four lead changes.
• St. Thomas Aquinas and Mercy were deadlock at 20-20 going into the halftime locker room, with the Spartans shooting 35.0 percent (9-of-26) from the field.
• Syrita Faraj led all scorers with 10 first half points for the Spartans, while shooting 50.0 percent from both the field (4-for-8) and 100.0 percent from the free-throw line (2-of-2).
• STAC was whistled for 23 total fouls, while Mercy was penalized just six times. The Mavericks shot 20 free throws to the Spartans eight for the contest.

MERCY NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven Mavericks logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Angelina Barrera led Mercy with 21 points. Teammates Grace Lesko (17 points) and Amani Abuhatab (13 points) also scored in double figures.
• Barrera also led Mercy with five assists on the day.
• Barrera went 7-for-14 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the foul line, with Lesko hitting 7 of her 15 field goal attempts and 2-of-2 free throws.
• Lesko also grabbed a game-high 11 boards for the Mavericks.
• Mercy picked up 10 steals, with the Spartans turning the ball over on 17 separate occasions.
• The Mavericks earned advantages in three team statistical categories over St. Thomas Aquinas: Points off Turnovers (17-7), Second Chance Points (11-2) and Points in the Paint (40-24).
• Mercy had its largest lead of the game (17 points) in final seconds of the contest, 65-48, on an Amani Abuhatab free throw.
• Angelina Barrera led all Mavericks scorers at the half with nine points on 3-of-8 (38.0 percent) shooting from the field and 3-of-3 (100.0 percent) from the foul line.
• Mercy's best shooting quarter came in the final stanza, with the Mavericks shooting 70.0 percent (7-10) from the field and 83.3 percent (10-12) from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT:

STAC heads north, visiting Roberts Wesleyan University on Sunday, February 2. The Spartans and Redhawks will tangle in ECC action starting at 2:00 p.m. inside of the Voller Athletic Center in Rochester, New York.