Sparkill, N.Y. - Despite having four players score in double figures on Saturday, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team saw it's seven game winning-streak come to an end at the hands of Pace University, 79-77 at Aquinas Hall.

STAC slips to 10-2 on the year, while Pace improves to 9-3 overall.

James Patterson led the way for the Spartans, recording 21 points, while Jamal Barnes (13 points), Luis Risquez (12 points) and DeVante Jamison (10-points) also posted double-digit points.

STAC shot 36.4 percent from the field (24-66), while Pace shot 49.0 percent (25-51) from the floor and 40.0 percent (8-20) from beyond the arc.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• DeVante Jamison led STAC with six assists on the afternoon.
• James Patterson made 5 of his 13 field goal attempts, while Luis Risquez went 4-of-5 from the floor.
• Each team grabbed 36 boards in 40 minutes of action, with Risquez posting a team-high six rebounds for the maroon and gold.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 10 steals in the contest, with Pace turning the ball over on 20 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in three team statistical categories over the Setters: Points off of Turnovers (22-16), Second Chance Points (11-6) and Bench Points (26-12).
• The game featured nine ties and 16 lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Early action saw the Spartans and Setters trade buckets and leads on the scoreboard, before five straight points by STAC put them up 12-6.
• Pace fought back to get within one at 14-13, but another 5-0 run gave the maroon and gold a second six-point advantage (19-13) with a little over 12 minutes to play in the first half.
• A Rich Smith layup put the Spartans up 21-15, but the visiting Setters pushed back once again, scoring eight straight points to flip the scoreboard in their favor once again at 23-21.
• Antonio Vendola would regain the lead for STAC, draining a trey to go back up, 24-23. However, Pace would then surge to a nine point advantage (33-24) on the strength of ten straight points with 4:34 to go before halftime.
• Back and forth action got the Spartans back even with the Setters at 37-37, as James Patterson, Kyle Pulliam, Jamal Barnes and DeVante Jamison pushed the offensive tempo in the last two minutes of the half.
• Pace scored five of the final nine points before the break, to take a one-point advantage (42-41) to their locker room.
• James Patterson paced the Spartans offense with 14 first-half points, while Brandon Powell posted 14 points of his own for the Setters.
• The teams opened second half action by trading three-pointers, to keep Pace in the lead 45-44.
• See-Saw action was the theme of the stanza, with momentum swings coming in waves for the first eight minutes.
• After retaking the lead, STAC finally got a small cushion when Luis Risquez tallied seven straight points to make it 62-56 with 10 minutes to play in the contest.
• Unfortunately, the Spartan advantage would be short-lived as Pace rattled off six straight points of their own to square the game at 62 all with a hair under six minutes remaining.
• In a tight, physical contest, which saw 42 total foul calls between the sides, free-throwing shooting would play a major role in deciding the outcome down the stretch. Pace would head to the foul line on seven separate occasions in the final 5:56 of regulation, making 9 of 14 free-throws, while STAC would receive five opportunities in that span, and hitting 8 of 9 free-throws.
• Down five, 75-70, with just under two minutes to play, Jamal Barnes' trey would cut the STAC deficit to just two at 75-73, but Pace would sink a three-pointer of their own to increase its lead back to five (78-73) with 24 seconds left.
• A pair of DeVante Jamison free-throws put STAC back within three (78-75), but the hosts would need to foul to preserve precious time remaining on the clock. 
• Pace would then only make one of two free throws, giving them a four-point advantage (79-75) and keeping STAC's hope for a comeback alive.
• On the Spartans next trip down the floor, DeVante Jamison would get his team within two, on a layup, to make it 79-77 with just over 10 seconds to play.
• A subsequent turnover by Pace and a timeout by STAC gave the hosts one final opportunity to either tie the game or take the lead with mere seconds left on the clock.
• DeVante Jamison would inbound the basketball and launch it into the backcourt, finding Jamal Barnes, who passed back to Jamison, only to get the ball back seconds later for one final three-point jump shot attempt, which fell short of its intended destination to seal the victory for the visiting Setters.

UP NEXT:

STAC looks to start a new winning streak, when they host The College of Saint Rose in a matinee game at Aquinas Hall on Monday, December 19. Opening tip between the Spartans and Golden Knights is set for 3:00 p.m.