Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team suffered a 64-57 defeat at the hands of Mercy College on Wednesday evening at Aquinas Hall Gymnasium.

STAC slips to 11-5 and 4-2 in the ECC, while Mercy improves to 10-6 and 4-2.

Sarah Ericson led the Spartans with 14 points, while Angelique Holguin (11 points) also scored in double-figures.

STAC shot 34.4 percent from the field (21-61), while Mercy shot 35.2 percent (19-54) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Julia Reggio led the maroon and gold with three assists on the evening.
• Sarah Ericson made 5 of her 14 field goal attempts, while Angelique Holguin went a perfect 5 for 5 from the floor.
• Mercy out rebounded STAC 40-37 in the ECC tilt, with Sarah Ericson grabbing a game-high nine boards.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up eight steals, with the Mavericks turning the ball over on 14 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in four team statistical categories over Mercy: Points off of Turnovers (12-10), Second Chance Points (13-4), Points in the Paint (32-20) and Bench Points (28-12).
• The game featured six ties and four lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A bucket and free throw to open the game put Mercy ahead 3-0 just 23 seconds into the contest. However, Sarah Ericson then hit from downtown to tie the score at 3-3.
• An 8-4 run by the Mavericks gave the visitors an 11-7 advantage at the first quarter media timeout.
• Karolina Jaruseviciute and Erin Leary scored the final six points for the Spartans, but Mercy continued to hit its shots and maintained a three-point lead through the first 10 minutes of action, 16-13.
• The teams battled back and forth to start the second stanza, with STAC getting to within one (19-18) on a Melissa Alifano jumper, but a 12-2 streak by the Mavericks expanded their lead to 31-20 with 3:40 to play before the halftime break.
• Alexa Huertas' three pointer and another jumper by Alifano would be the only scoring by either side before the team retreated to their respective locker rooms for the intermission with Mercy holding a 31-25 advantage.
• Sarah Ericson paced the Spartans offense with seven first-half points, while Katie Wall led all scorers with 14 points for Mercy.
• When the teams returned for the third quarter, a tough STAC defense held the Mavericks to only 11 points in the frame, with nine of those points courtesy of free throws.
• Meanwhile the Spartans attack started to prove most effective, with Angelique Holguin putting up 11 straight points of her own, while teammates Julia Reggio, Sarah Ericson, Karolina Jaruseviciute and Melissa Alifano helped get the maroon and gold ahead on the scoreboard, leading 47-42 after 30 minutes.
• In the final quarter of play, Mercy would turn the tables on STAC, holding the hosts to only 10 points, while scoring 22 of their own.
• Five straight points by the Mavericks pulled them even on the scoreboard, 47-47. The teams would then trade buckets to remain tied at 49 all.
• An Erin Leary free throw would then put the Spartans up by one, but Mercy would score four straight points to lead again, 54-50 with 5:23 left in regulation.
• St. Thomas Aquinas cut its deficit and retook the lead with a 7-2 run of its own to make it 57-56 with less than a minute to play.
• Unfortunately, another clutch Mercy bucket flipped the scoreboard back in their favor, 58-57 with 38 seconds left in the game.
• Not being able to put together any offensive sets, the Spartans were forced to foul in order to preserve time on the clock. Mercy connected on six straight free throws down the stretch to expand its lead from one to seven and closed the conference matchup at Aquinas Hall.

UP NEXT:

St. Thomas Aquinas College faces a tough regional test, when the Spartans head to Pace University on Monday, January 16. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee will get underway at 3:00 p.m. in Pleasantville, N.Y.