Queens, N.Y. - Four Spartans scored in double-figures to lift the St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team past Queens College, 97-81 on Wednesday evening at Fitzgerald Gymnasium.

STAC improves to 16-3 overall and 7-0 in the ECC with the victory, while Queens drops to 5-12 and 2-5.

Antonio Vendola led the Spartans with 22 points, while teammates James Patterson (17 points), DeVante Jamison (17 points) and Luis Risquez (16 points) also recorded double-digit point totals.

STAC shot 49.4 percent from the field (39-79) and 61.1 percent from beyond the arc (11-18), while Queens shot 49.3 percent (34-69) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Antonio Vendola led the maroon and gold with three assists on the evening.
• DeVante Jamison made 8 of his 15 field goal attempts, while Antonio Vendola went 7-for-11 from the floor and 4-of-5 from three.
• STAC out rebounded Queens 45-38, with Antonio Vendola both grabbing a team-high eight boards.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up six steals, with the Knights turning the ball over on 12 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned advantages in three team statistical categories over Queens: Points off Turnovers (15-14), Fastbreak Points (10-7) and Bench Points (28-22).
• The game featured one tie and two lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• An early 3-2 lead by the host Knights, quickly gave way to 14-point Spartans advantage (19-5) on the strength of a 17-2 run with Jamal Barnes, James Patterson, DeVante Jamison, Antonio Vendola and Ethan Millirons all contributing to the scoring over a three and a half minute span.
• STAC built a 17-point lead (35-18) at the midway point of the first half, before a 14-2 streak by the Knights brought them to within five at 37-32 with six and a half minutes to play before the break.
• Queens cut its deficit to only two (46-44) with less than two minutes left in the half, but STAC would get a bucket from Richard Smith just before time expired in the stanza to lead 48-44 at the intermission.
• Antonio Vendola paced the Spartans offense with 10 first-half points, while Tyler Carey posted 10 points of his own for the Knights.
• When the teams returned to the hardwood for the second half, it would be Antonio Vendola who would open the scoring to push the STAC advantage to six, at 50-44.
• However, Queens would continue to hang around, battling to keep the margin to single digits, and trailing by only two points (56-54) with 16:23 left to play in regulation.
• A 10-2 run by the Spartans, powered by treys from Luis Risquez and Jamal Barnes, along with a pair of buckets by DeVante Jamison, pushed the maroon and gold lead to 10 (66-56) over a two minute span.
• The host Knights continued to fight their way back into the game, matching the Spartans shot for shot during the middle portion of the stanza, but maintained its scoring prowess, keeping the margin on scoreboard at around a 10-point spread.
• STAC hit the 90-point mark for the sixth time this season when Luis Risquez connected on the first of two consecutive layups with two and a half minutes left in the contest.
• DeVante Jamison's bucket with 42 seconds to play gave the maroon and gold its largest lead of the game (18 points), 97-79.
• A Queens layup closed the scoring for the evening, as St. Thomas Aquinas came away with the 16-point triumph.

UP NEXT:

St. Thomas Aquinas College hosts Molloy University on Saturday, January 21 (3:00 p.m.) at Aquinas Hall Gymnasium in Sparkill.