Sparkill, N.Y. - On the strength of an all-around, gritty team effort, St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball defeated Chestnut Hill College, 72-68, in a thrilling overtime contest at Aquinas Hall on Sunday afternoon.

STAC moves to 5-1 on the season, while Chestnut Hill drops to 3-3.

Sarah Ericson led the way for the Spartans, posting 18 points, while Erin Leary (13 points) and Angelique Holguin (11 points & 10 rebounds) also scored in double-figures.

STAC shot 47.0 percent from the field (31-66), while Chestnut Hill shot 37.0 percent (27-73) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• All eight Spartan players recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Sarah Ericson, Trinity Cheatom and Erin Leary led the Spartans with three assists each on the night.
• Ericson made 8 of her 15 field goal attempts, while Leary went 5-for-8 and Angelique Holguin went 5-for-10 from the floor.
• Chestnut Hill out rebounded STAC 45-39 through 40 minutes of action, with Holguin (10) grabbing double-digit boards for the maroon and gold.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up eight steals in the contest, with the Griffins turning the ball over on 24 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in two team statistical categories over Chestnut Hill: Points off of Turnovers (30-13) and Points in the Paint (48-30).
• The game featured seven ties and 14 lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Angelique Holguin gave the Spartans their first seven points of the game via a free-throw, a jumper and a pair of layups. Chestnut Hill matched STAC's hot shooting and kept things even at 7-7 with 6:04 to play in the opening quarter.
• Back and forth play between the sides saw the visiting Griffins go up by as much as five points (20-15), before Holguin and teammate Sarah Ericson, cut the deficit to just two at 20-19 by the end of the stanza.
• A Kaitlyn Watrobski jumper opened the second period and gave the Spartans back the lead (21-20) and Trinity Cheatom's layup on the next trip down the floor expanded the maroon and gold advantage to 23-20.
• Another see-saw quarter had the scoreboard flip on several occasions, but STAC continued to battle and went on a 10-2 run to pull ahead by five at 35-30, as the teams retreated to their respective locker rooms for a much deserved break.
• Angelique Holguin paced the Spartans offense with 11 first-half points, while Bri Hewlett posted 7 points for the Griffins.
• Following the intermission, Sarah Ericson put the Spartans up by seven, but the relentless scoring abilities of Chestnut Hill continued. Despite several attempts by STAC to distance themselves from the Griffins, the visitors matched shot for shot and got a couple of key stops in order to climb back to a 43-43 tie with just under three minutes to play in the third quarter.
• Chestnut Hill regained a two-point lead (45-43), before and Erin Leary bucket tied things back up. However, A last second layup by the visitors gave them back the advantage at 47-45 through 30 minutes of action.
• In fourth quarter action, the Griffins expanded their lead by as much as four on two occasions (49-45 and 52-48), but determined Spartans continued to claw their way back and even take a one-point lead (53-52) on a 5-0 scoring streak led by Sarah Ericson and Trinity Cheatom.
• It was now STAC's turn to build an advantage, as Ericson, Erin Leary and Joline Raposo helped their team to a 60-54 lead with three and a half minutes to play in the contest.
• Chestnut Hill again showed its resilience and went on a 6-0 over the final three minutes to tie the game at 60 all and force overtime.
• In the extra session Sarah Ericson put the Spartans up three on the strength of a jumper and a free-throw on her subsequent trip down the floor. 
• Four consecutive points then put the Griffins up one (64-63), but Erin Leary's monster three-pointer gave STAC back the lead at 66-64 with 2:21 left to play in extra time.
• Following a Karolina Jaruseviciute jumper, Chestnut Hill would get within two with less than 45 seconds on the clock (68-66), but clutch free-throw shooting would widen the Spartans lead, as Trinity Cheatom, Karolina Jaruseviciute and Erin Leary combined to go 4-of-6 from the foul line down the stretch to make it 72-66.
• One final jump shot from the Griffins would count at the buzzer, but it wouldn't be enough, as STAC took the non-conference tilt, 72-68.

UP NEXT:

St. Thomas Aquinas College heads down Route 95, to our nation's capital, to face the University of the District of Columbia on Wednesday, November 30. Tip-off at the Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson Sports Complex is set for 5:30 p.m.