Richmond, Va. - Despite holding a six-point first half lead, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team dropped its sixth straight contest on Saturday afternoon, falling to Virginia Union University 74-64 at Barco-Stevens Hall.

STAC slips to 6-9 on the season, while Virginia Union improves to 12-1 with their twelfth straight triumph.

Derrick James posted a team-high 13 points for the Spartans, while Joshua Michigan (12 points) and Starrell Hearns (10 points) also scored in double figures. For the host Panthers, Bobby Gardner led all scorers with 21 points.

St. Thomas Aquinas shot 45.1 percent (23-51) from the field, while Virginia Union shot 50.0 percent (29-58) from the floor.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest.
• William Landram II led the maroon and gold with four assists on the afternoon.
• Derrick James hit 5 of his 9 field goal attempts, with three buckets sailing through the nets from beyond the arc. Joshua Michigan went 5-for-7 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe.
• STAC and Virginia Union tallied 33 rebounds apiece, with Jordan Green grabbing a team-high five boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas swiped eight steals, with the Panthers turning the ball over on 11 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned one advantage in the key team statistical categories over Virginia Union: Bench Points (18-17).
• St. Thomas Aquinas had its largest lead of the game (12 points) with three and a half minutes to play in the first half, 33-21, on a Brennan Chatman three-point jump shot.
• The game featured four ties and three lead changes.
• St. Thomas Aquinas led Virginia Union 37-31 at the half and shot 59.1 percent (13-22) from the field, 60.0 percent (6-10) from long distance and 71.4 percent (5-7) from the free-throw line.
• Joshua Michigan led all Spartans' scorers with eight first half points, while shooting 75.0 percent (3-of-4) from the field and 100.0 percent (2-of-2) from the foul line.

VIRGINIA UNION NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven Panthers logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Bobby Gardner led Virginia Union with 21 points, while teammates O'Maundre Harris (17 points) and Tahj Harding (11 points) also scored in double figures.
• Harris also led Virginia Union with three assists apiece on the day.
• Harris went 7-for-12 from the floor. Tahj Harding connected on 4-of-13 field goal attempts.
• Malachi Dark grabbed a game-high seven boards for the Panthers.
• Virginia Union picked up ten steals, with the Spartans turning the ball over on 18 separate occasions.
• The Panthers earned advantages in two key team statistical categories over St. Thomas Aquinas: Points in the Paint (28-16) and Points off Turnovers (27-12).
• Virginia Union had its largest lead of the game (12 points) with just under a minute to play in the contest, 74-62, on a Tahj Harding free throw.
• Bobby Gardner led all scorers at the half with 17 points for the Panthers, with Gardner shooting 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from the field and 100 percent from both beyond the arc (1-for-1) and the foul line (2-of-2).
• Virginia Union's best shooting half came in the second stanza, with the Panthers shooting 57.1 percent (16-28) from the field and 75.0 percent (9-12) from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT:

STAC heads to Western New York to resume East Coast Conference play on Friday, January 9 against Roberts Wesleyan University. Tip-off between the Spartans and Redhawks is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at the Voller Athletic Center in Rochester.