Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team earned its second straight victory on Sunday afternoon, downing Roberts Wesleyan University, 67-48, in the squad's conference opener at Aquinas Hall.

STAC improves to 3-5 overall and 1-0 in ECC play, while Roberts Wesleyan falls to 0-9 and 0-2.

Syrita Faraj led all scorers with 22 points for the maroon and gold, while Trinity Cheatom (11 points) and Karolina Jaruseviciute (10 points) also scored in double figures. Grace Dow led the Redhawks scorers with 17 points.

St. Thomas Aquinas shot 39.3 percent from the field (24-61), while Roberts Wesleyan shot 29.7 percent (19-64) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the non-conference contest. 
• Cassidy Mahaney led the maroon and gold with four assists on the day.
• Syrita Faraj hit 8 of her 12 field goal attempts and all six of her free throws. Meanwhile, Trinity Cheatom went 4-of-7 from the floor.
• Roberts Wesleyan out-rebounded STAC by a narrow 44-43 margin, with Syrita Faraj grabbing a game-high 12 boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up seven steals, with the Redhawks turning the ball over on 17 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in five team statistical categories over Roberts Wesleyan: Points off Turnovers (16-15), Second Chance Points (13-11), Points in the Paint (36-30), Fastbreak Points (9-4) and Bench Points (23-11).
• The game featured no ties and no lead changes.
• STAC's largest lead of the game came with just under three and a half minutes to play in the final stanza, when Spartans led by 27 points, 63-36, on a Cassidy Mahaney free throw.
• St. Thomas Aquinas held a 31-23 advantage going into the halftime locker room.
• Karolina Jaruseviciute led all Spartans scorers with eight first half points, while shooting both 80.0 percent (4-of-5) from the floor.
• STAC best shooting quarter came in the third frame, with the maroon and gold hitting 7 of its 14 total shots for a 50.0 field goal percentage and all four of its free throws for a 100.0 percent rating.
• The Spartans played a feisty and scrappy game against the Redhawks, with Roberts Wesleyan's Erin Frazier receiving a technical foul on a jump ball scrum with STAC's Bailey Chapman.

ROBERTS WESLEYAN NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight Redhawks logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Grace Dow led Roberts Wesleyan with 17 points. Teammate Erin Frazier (10 points) also scored in double figures.
• Lauren McCrea and Angalece Quinones led Roberts Wesleyan with two assists each on the afternoon.
• Grace Dow went 8-for-13 from the floor, with Erin Frazier hitting 4 of her 10 field goal attempts.
• Frazier also grabbed a team-high nine boards for the Redhawks.
• Roberts Wesleyan picked up 10 steals, with the Spartans turning the ball over on 14 separate occasions.
• Grace Dow led all scorers with with 10 first half points for the setters, while shooting 71.4 percent the floor (5-of-7).

UP NEXT:

STAC faces a tough task, visiting Daemen University on Friday, December 13. Tip-off between the Spartans and Wildcats is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Charles L. & Gloria B. Lumsden Gymnasium in Amherst, New York.