Bridgeport, Conn. - The #12/20 nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team held off a second half charge by the University of Bridgeport to win its seventh straight contest, 90-81, on Wednesday evening at the Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium.

STAC improves to 18-3 on the season, while Bridgeport falls to 9-13 on the year.

James Patterson led the way for the Spartans with a game-high 27 points, while teammates Kyle Pulliam (18 points), Vasilis Tolias (14 points) and Jamal Barnes (10 points) also posted double figures in scoring.

STAC shot 49.2 percent (31-63) from the field, while Bridgeport shot 47.7 percent (31-65) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• All 11 Spartans who suited up for the Wednesday's non-conference contest logged double-digit minutes.
• Rich Smith led the maroon and gold with four assists on the evening.
• James Patterson hit 9 of his 19 field goal attempts and all seven of his free throws. Meanwhile, Kyle Pulliam went 6-for-9 from the floor, with two shots sailing through the nets from long range.
• STAC out-rebounded Bridgeport by a 44-30 margin, with James Patterson grabbing a game-high 12 boards and Lawrence Foreman scooping up 10 rebounds for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up ten steals, with the Purple Knights turning the ball over on 11 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in two team statistical categories over Bridgeport: Second Chance Points (17-11) and Bench Points (28-10).
• The game featured no ties and no lead changes.
• STAC's largest lead of the contest came with 7:50 remaining in the first half, when Spartans led by 18 points, 32-14 on a Kyle Pulliam made jump shot.
• The Spartans held a 44-33 advantage going into the halftime locker room.
• James Patterson led all scorers with 21 first half points for the Spartans, while also shooting 63.6 percent (7-for-11) from the field.
• STAC shot 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from the floor, 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from beyond the arc and 88.9 percent (8-of-9) from the foul line in the first half.

BRIDGEPORT NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Six Purple Knights logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Tim Dawson led Bridgeport with 22 points, while teammates Sam DeSouza (21pts), Nick Traill (16pts) and D'Andre Collins (12pts) also scored in double digits.
• Dawson and Traill led UB with a game-high seven assists apiece on the night.
• Tim Dawsom went 8-for-11 from the floor and 2-of-4 from downtown, with Sam DeSouza hitting 10 of his 14 field goal attempts.
• Sam DeSouza grabbed a team-high ten boards for the Purple Knights.
• Bridgeport picked up ten steals, with the Spartans turning the ball over on 14 separate occasions.
• UB earned advantages in two team statistical categories over St. Thomas Aquinas: Points Off Turnovers (21-14) and Points in the Paint (42-36).
• Tim Dawson led Purple Knights with 12 points in the opening half.
• Bridgeport shot 51.5 percent (17-of-33) from the field in the second half, en route to a 48-point frame.
• UB narrowed a 12-point second half deficit to just two on a pair of occasions, before the Spartans were able to get multiple stops and scores to extend their leads back to more comfortable margins.

UP NEXT:

St. Thomas Aquinas College hosts Roberts Wesleyan University at Aquinas Hall on Sunday, February 11. The Spartans and Redhawks are set to square off at 3:00 p.m. in Sparkill, N.Y.