Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team saw its five-game win streak come to a halt on Saturday afternoon, as Saint Anselm College put together a strong second half to rally past the Spartans, 81-74 at Aquinas Hall.

STAC slips to 15-3 overall, while Saint Anselm improves to 12-4 on the year.

DeVante Jamison led the Spartans with 19 points, while Kyle Pulliam (16 points) and Luis Risquez (16 points) also scored in double-figures.

STAC shot 39.4 percent from the field (26-66), while Saint Anselm shot 48.1 percent (26-54) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Richard Smith led the maroon and gold with two assists on the afternoon.
• Kyle Pulliam made 5 of his 6 field goal attempts, while Luis Risquez went 6 for 8 from the floor.
• STAC out rebounded Saint Anselm 42-34 in the non-conference tilt, with James Patterson grabbing a game-high eight boards.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up nine steals, with the Hawks turning the ball over on 19 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in four team statistical categories over Saint Anselm: Second Chance Points (18-9), Points in the Paint (42-22), Fastbreak Points (2-0) and Bench Points (42-25).
• The game featured four ties and two lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• DeVante Jamison and Antonio Vendola combined to score seven of the first nine points of the game to give STAC a 7-2 advantage 1:42 into the contest.
• A Saint Anselm layup brought them within three at 7-4, but a 9-0 streak then put the Spartans ahead by 10, 16-6 with just under 14 minutes to play in the opening stanza.
• The maroon and gold continued to flex its offensive muscle, building its largest lead of the day (15 points), to lead 27-15 with 8:43 to go before the halftime break.
• Saint Anslem then showcased its scoring talent, going on a 16-2 run of their own to take a two-point lead, 31-29, with less than four minutes to play in the half.
• Scoring streaks would be the theme of the opening frame, with STAC closing the first 20 minutes of action by posting nine of the final 14 points to retake and hold the lead, 38-36.
• Kyle Pulliam led all scorers with 14 first-half points for the Spartans, while Tyler Arbuckle paced the Hawks with 10 points.
• Once the teams returned to the hardwood for second half action, it would be the visiting Hawks who would take control of things, scoring nine straight points to build a 45-38 advantage through the first three minutes of the frame.
• DeVante Jamison's pair of free throws cut the Spartans deficit to five (45-40), but a two straight three-pointers by Saint Anselm ballooned their lead to 11 (54-40) in the span of a minute.
• The teams traded buckets for large stretches of the middle part of period, and free throws were numerous for both sides, as they had been throughout the contest.
• STAC was able to cut its double-digit disadvantage all the way down two just two points (68-66) via two James Patterson free throws with three minutes to play in regulation.
• However, Saint Anselm was able to regain a five point lead courtesy of a layup and free throw to make it, 71-66 with 2:29 to go.
• A Patterson layup and Kyle Pulliam free throws got the Spartans within one at 71-70 with 90 seconds to play.
• Saint Anselm then hit a three-pointer to put themselves up four, 74-70.
• DeVante Jamison would hit a bucket of his own to keep hope alive for the Spartans at 74-72.
• Unfortunately, another huge trey by the Hawks pushed their lead to five (77-72) with less than 30 seconds left.
• Despite a layup by Jamison, four free throws in the final seconds by Saint Anselm sealed the contest in their favor for the very important seven-point regional victory.

UP NEXT:

St. Thomas Aquinas College visits Queens College on Wednesday, January 18, with the opening tip set for 7:30 p.m. at Fitzgerald Gymnasium.