Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team had its six-game win streak halted on Wednesday evening, as Mercy College swept the ECC regular season series with a 65-53 triumph at Victory Hall in Westchester.

STAC slips to 17-6 overall and 9-3 in the ECC with the loss, while Mercy improves to 15-7 and 9-3.

Trinity Cheatom led the Spartans with 15 points, while Julia Reggio (12 points) also scored in double-figures.

STAC shot 38.6 percent from the field (17-44), while Mercy shot 38.3 percent (23-60) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Sarah Ericson and Trinity Cheatom led the maroon and gold with three assists apiece on the evening.
• Cheatom made 4 of her 6 field goal attempts, while Julia Reggio went a perfect 3 for 3 from the floor and 6-for-10 from the foul line.
• Mercy out rebounded STAC 38-30 in the ECC tilt, with Sarah Ericson grabbing a game-high 14 boards.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up seven steals, with the Mavericks turning the ball over on 14 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in two team statistical categories over Mercy: Fastbreak Points (7-4) and Bench Points (13-9).
• The game featured six lead changes.
• Mercy sweeps the season series with St. Thomas Aquinas for the first time since the 1975-76 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The host Mavericks opened an early 4-0 lead, but eight straight points by Alexa Huertas, Angelique Holguin and Trinity Cheatom put the Spartans in the lead 8-4 with seven minutes left in the opening quarter.
• STAC built a nine-point advantage with Cheatom, Holguin and Erin Leary and Sarah Ericson all connecting on buckets to make it 17-8 with 2:56 remaining.
• Mercy climbed back to within five (18-13), before Julia Reggio made two free throws to push the advantage back to seven at 20-13.
• A Mavs jumper before the buzzer cut their deficit to five, 20-15.
• Leading by six (21-15) through the first 3:28 of the second stanza, the Spartans allowed seven straight points to lose its lead, with Mercy now ahead 22-21.
• The Mavericks built upon its advantage, going up 27-23. However, STAC would fight its way back to flip the scoreboard in their favor with five straight points from Julia Reggio and Alexa Huertas to lead 28-27 with three minutes to play before halftime.
• Mercy closed the first half with a 7-0 run, courtesy of a layup, three-pointer, and a pair of free throws to take a 34-28 advantage into the locker room at the break.
• Julia Reggio paced the Spartans' offense with seven first-half points, while Katie Wall led all scorers with 19 points for the Mavericks.
• When the teams returned to the hardwood for third quarter action, STAC quickly cut its deficit to just one point (34-33) on the strength of a Trinity Cheatom trey and a Sarah Ericson layup.
• Mercy then went on a scoring streak of its own, picking up nine of the next 11 points to hold a 43-35 lead with a little over six minutes to play in the frame.
• Despite the Spartans rallying their way back on multiple occasions, the Mavericks would answer on almost every trip back down the floor. Another late Mercy three-pointer helped them maintain an eight-point lead (51-43) through 30 minutes of play.
• In the fourth quarter, Mercy was able to push its advantage to double digits on several offensive possessions and despite one last attempt at a comeback by the visitors in maroon and gold, the Mavs got key buckets down the stretch to preserve their lead and sweep the regular season series 2-0.

UP NEXT:

STAC visits Western New York to face Daemen University on Friday, February 17 (5:30 p.m.) and then D'Youville University on Sunday, February 19 (1:00 p.m.).