Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team handed Daemen University its first defeat of the 2022-23 season, taking an overtime thriller from the visitors from Western New York, 66-65 on Friday evening at Aquinas Hall.

STAC improves to 7-2 and 2-1 in the ECC, while Daemen slips to 6-1 and 2-1.

Angelique Holguin led the way for the Spartans, recording 14 points, while Joline Raposo (11 points), Erin Leary (11 points) and Kaitlyn Watrobski (11 points) also scored in double-figures.

STAC shot 39.3 percent from the field (22-56) and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line (18-22), while Daemen shot 34.2 percent (25-73) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven different Spartans recorded double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Trinity Cheatom led STAC with four assists on the evening.
• Angelique Holguin made 5 of her 9 field goal attempts, while Kaitlyn Watrobski went 3-of-6 from the floor.
• Daemen out rebounded STAC 50-39 through 40 minutes of action, with Sarah Ericson posting a game-high nine boards for the maroon and gold.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up nine steals in the contest, with Daemen turning the ball over on 21 separate occasions.
• The game featured nine ties and 6 lead changes.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Daemen opened the game, leading 4-2, before a Sarah Ericson trey gave the Spartans their first lead at 5-4 with seven minutes to play in the first quarter.
• A 12-2 run by STAC over the next three and a half minutes put the hosts up 14-6.
• Back and forth play between the teams allowed Daemen to climb back into the game and only trail by two, 18-16 at the end of the opening stanza.
• Trinity Cheatom's jumper and Sarah Ericson's layup to start the new frame, put STAC back up by six (22-16).
• A free-throw by Daemen brought them within five, before a layup by the returning Liliana Kramer extended the Spartans lead to seven (24-17) with just under six and half minutes to play before halftime.
• Again, see-saw play between the squads kept Daemen close on the scoreboard, closing the gap to two points on two separate occasions. However, STAC outscored Daemen by a 10-5 margin over the final four minutes of the half to lead by eight, 34-26 at the break.
• Angelique Holguin paced the Spartans offense with 10 first-half points, while Gabby McDuffie posted six points for the Wildcats.
• Erin Leary opened the new quarter hitting a jumper to extend the Spartans lead to 10 (36-26).
• The Wildcats then went on a 14-3 surge to tie the game and then take the lead, 41-39. Fortunately, it was short-lived as a Kaitlyn Watrobski jumper squared things at 41-41, forcing a Daemen timeout with three minutes to play in the third frame.
• Watrobski and Holguin would answer subsequent Wildcats baskets to keep the score even, 46-46, through 30 minutes of action.
• In the final period of regulation, Joline Raposo put the Spartans back up by two on a layup, but eight straight points by Daemen gave them a 54-48 advantage with five minutes to play.
• The battle was on between the two ECC titans, as the teams matched each other shot-for-shot down the stretch, with STAC getting within one point (56-55), before Daemen went back up by four (59-55) on a three-pointer.
• Free throws and lockdown defense would be the keys to the Spartans rally in the final moments, with Joline Raposo and Erin Leary hitting their foul shots to knot the game at 59-59 and a final stop of the red-hot Wildcat offense pushed the contest to overtime.
• In extra time, Raposo would be the one to open the scoring for STAC, but Daemen recorded five straight points to take a three-point lead, 64-61 with 2:30 to play.
• A Trinity Cheatom three cut the deficit to one (64-63). Unfortunately, a Daemen free-throw would give the visitors a 65-63 lead with less than a minute left in overtime.
• Joline Raposo brought the scoreboard back to one (65-64), by hitting one of two free-throws.
• A pair of missed free-throws by Daemen gave STAC the opportunity it needed to draw up one final offensive play, and following a timeout, Erin Leary would be fouled trying to carry out that mission. 
• Leary went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, flipping the scoreboard in favor of STAC at 66-65.
• Now it was Daemen's turn to call a timeout, to both talk strategy and advance the basketball over half court. 
• With the Spartan Army in full throat, the Wildcats would inbound the ball and find an open player for one final jump shot, which missed the mark, giving St. Thomas Aquinas a thrilling overtime triumph.

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