Spartans Late Rally Falls Short

The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team lost 56-67 to host UMass-Lowell in the second round of the Lowell Tournament.  The Spartans were led in scoring by senior Akeem Comas who recorded eighteen points including 8-9 from the free throw line.  Comas also tallied a team high five rebounds.  Seniors Jelani Winfield and Robert Payne each chipped in nine points for STAC.

The Spartans were down twelve at the half on 35 percent shooting including 0-6 from behind the arc.  STAC started to close the gap early into the second half cutting the UMass Lowell lead to six before Colon scored on a jumper to put the Riverhawks up 52-44 with 8:41 left to play.  The Spartans went on a 10-1 run to grab a 54-53 edge with 5:04 remaining, capped by a conventional 3-point play by junior forward Ahmed Allen.  The River Hawks, however, answered with a 14-2 run of their own, led by seven points from Colon. UMass Lowell converted 6 of 8 free throws in the final 2:58 to seal the win.

The Spartans return to action on Tuesday as they travel to nearby Nyack College for an 8pm start.  The men will follow the Lady Spartans who tip-off at 6pm.