The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team beat host Wilmington College 56-55 in overtime. Senior Akeem Comas hit a long three tying the game at the buzzer and sending the Spartans into their first overtime game of the season. Comas led the Spartans with sixteen points, seven rebounds, and five steals. Vincent Johnson added twelve points off the bench knocking down 2-3 from behind the arc. Robert Payne chipped in with nine points, including the final basket of the game with four seconds remaining.
Wilmington controlled play for much of the first half, leading by as many as nine (13-4) with 11:45 remaining in the half. The Spartans countered with a 9-3 run to cut the lead to just one with 3:39 to go. Both teams struggled offensively as STAC went into the locker room down one (20-19).
The second half saw runs by both teams. The Widcats were up by as many as eight (34-26) with over ten minutes remaining before the Spartans responded outscoring the home team 10-2 in a four minute span to tie the game at 36. The two squads traded baskets down the stretch before Wilmington pulled off a 4-0 spurt to put them ahead 52-48 with 57 seconds to go. Payne hit one of two free throws to cut the lead to three with 41 seconds remaining. After a missed shot by Wilmington, St. Thomas Aquinas got the ball back with just over seven seconds left on the clock. Payne dribbled up court before passing to Akeem Comas, who buried a three-pointer at the buzzer from about 27 feet out.
Wilmington scored the first basket in the extra minutes off a jumper by Allen Hairston who finished with nine points, eleven boards, and three blocks for the Wildcats. Both teams exchanged a free throw leaving the home team up two with 30 seconds left on the clock. The Spartans ran the clock down looking to take the final shot of the game, finding Payne on the wing who banked in a jumper with four seconds to go, giving the Spartans a 56-55 lead. Wilmington drove the length of the court and missed a layup at the buzzer, as the Spartans move to 2-3 on the season.
The Spartans, who just completed their fifth game in eight days, will be off until December 1st when they host Philadelphia University in their home opener. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 PM.