Sparkill, N.Y. - A strong second half push by the St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team, allowed the hosts in maroon and gold to take down the top regionally ranked Jefferson University Rams, 74-68 on Wednesday afternoon at Aquinas Hall.

STAC opens the new year, improving to 10-4 overall, while Jefferson slides to 12-2.

Erin Leary led the way for the Spartans, recording 26 points, while Sarah Ericson posted a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, and Alexa Huertas put up 15 points.

STAC shot 46.7 percent from the field (28-60) and 47.6 percent from three (10-21), while Jefferson shot 43.1 percent (31-72) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight different Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Melissa Alifano led STAC with four assists on the day.
• Erin Leary made 9 of her 18 field goal attempts, with 3 of 6 coming from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Sarah Ericson and Alexa Huertas both went 6-of-11 from the floor.
• STAC out rebounded Jefferson 37-36 in 40 minutes of action, with Sarah Ericson posting a game-high 12 boards for the maroon and gold.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up three steals in the contest, with Jefferson turning the ball over on 12 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantage in three team statistical categories over the Rams: Second Chance Points (11-8), Fastbreak Points (8-6) and Bench Points (23-14).
• The game featured six ties and nine lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Jefferson raced out to a quick 10-0 lead in the first two minutes of the opening quarter.
• Alexa Huertas broke the shutout for the Spartans with a layup, but another Rams run of 7-2, made it 17-4 with just under six minutes to play in the stanza.
• A Julia Reggio layup, followed by four straight three-pointers from Huertas (2), Erin Leary and Sarah Ericson put STAC ahead by one at 18-17.
• While the hosts continued to fight their way back into the game, the hot shooting of Jefferson also continued, as they scored seven of the final 12 points in the quarter to re-take the lead, 24-23 through the first 10 minutes of action.
• Back and forth action between the squads was the theme for most of the second quarter, with neither side taking more than a four-point advantage, before Jefferson rattled off six straight points late in the frame to hold an eight point margin (43-35) on the scoreboard at the halftime break.
• Alexa Huertas paced the Spartans offense with 13 first-half points, while Haley Meinel led all scorers with 16 points for the Rams.
• Once the teams returned to the floor for the third quarter, a reinvigorated Spartans squad continued to claw its way back on the scoreboard. Buckets from Joline Raposo and Karolina Jaruseviciute brought the difference to six (45-39).
• However, a well disciplined Jefferson team also made the most of their opportunities, pushing the pace of play and scoring at will to take an 11-point lead (51-40) with 7:02 to play in the period.
• A 12-4 streak by STAC over the remaining time in the third quarter brought the hosts back to within three, 55-52, through 30 minutes of play.
• Sarah Ericson's three-point play (layup & free throw) to start the final quarter, squared things at 55-55.
• Ericson (8pts) and teammate Erin Leary (11pts) put the Spartans on their shoulders for the final 8:20 of play, as the sophomores scored all 19 points necessary to mount a comeback and hold a lead all the way to the final buzzer.
• Significant defensive contributions by Ericson, Leary, Kaitlyn Watrobski, Melissa Alifano, Trinity Cheatom, Julia Reggio and Karolina Jaruseviciute down the stretch also allowed the maroon and gold to power their way back to the huge six-point victory over an East Region powerhouse with NCAA Tournament aspirations. 

UP NEXT: 

STAC returns to East Coast Conference play, hosting Roberts Wesleyan University on Sunday, January 8 (1:00 p.m.) at Aquinas Hall.