Spartans Drop Home Opener

The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team dropped it's home opener 52-47 to Philadelphia University last evening.  Senior Akeem Comas led the Spartans with fourteen points and five rebounds.  Poor shooting plagued the Spartans as they went 1-10 from behind the arc and 6-14 from the free throw line.  Despite the low scoring output, the Spartans did receive at least two or more points from twelve different players.

STAC opened with a 14-5 lead at the 11:34 mark of the first half before Philadelphia answered with nine straight to tie things up.  The Spartans ended the half up one (23-22) after shooting 50 percent from the field (10-20) led by Comas with seven while Ahmed Allen and Vincent Johnson chipped in three points each.  The Spartans, still up one with 14:31 to go in the game, exchanged baskets with the Rams finding the game tied at 36-36 with 8:44 left to play.  Philadelphia rattled off a late 11-2 run putting them up nine (38-47) with under five minutes remaining.

Senior Robert Payne hit a jumper with 1:15 remaining pulling the Spartans within six.  The Rams Carroll Mitchell hit one of two from the foul line as the Spartans were forced to foul.  Comas drained a three  with :43 seconds to play and just missed on a second attempt with :22 seconds that would have brought them within one.   

STAC will be back in action on Wednesday as the face conference opponent Dowling College at 7:30 PM.  The men will play the second game of the double header as the Lady Spartans host Dowling at 5:30 PM.