AMHERST, N.Y. – Junior Jenna Erickson (Melrose, N.Y.) drilled four three-pointers and totaled 19 points and senior Kaitlyn McCue (Bergenfield, N.J.) added 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead St. Thomas Aquinas College to a 65-55 victory over Daemen College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action.

STAC, which is ranked seventh in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll and sits atop the ECC standings, ran its winning streak to five-straight games and improved to 12-3 overall and 6-1 in the ECC. Daemen saw its two-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 5-9 overall and 2-4 in the ECC.

It marked just the second time this season Daemen has been held to 55 points or less. STAC entered the game ranked first among ECC teams in fewest points allowed per game (57.3 papg).

Junior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) registered her second-straight double-double and finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three blocks. Senior Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) provided a spark off the bench for the hosts and finished with four three-pointers, 13 points and five blocks. Freshman guard a Carina Pringle (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) scored in double figures for the second-straight game and finished with a season-high 13 points. Senior Jesse DeWaters (Lockport, N.Y./Niagara County CC) chipped in seven points.

Junior Adiya Henderson (Troy, N.Y.) and senior Samantha Burden (Westbury, N.Y.) helped the STAC cause. Henderson connected on 4-of-7 shots and scored 11 points and three blocks, while Burden was also 4-of-7 from the field and totaled 10 points.

A three-pointer by Erickson gave STAC an 11-4 lead midway through the first quarter, and a another triple by Erickson with just over two minutes left in the quarter gave the visitors their first double-digit lead of the game, 18-8. Daemen closed out the frame with three-straight three-pointers by Galus and the Spartans took an 18-17 lead into the second quarter.

St. Thomas Aquinas built the lead up to nine points, 29-20, midway through the second quarter. Erickson's fourth three-pointer of the half gave the Spartans a 36-26 lead with just over two minutes left in the half, but Daemen once again put together a late rally. Pringle drilled a three-pointer with 45 seconds left in the half, and a jumper by Saba with 10 seconds left closed out the first half scoring. STAC took a 36-31 lead into the break.

Daemen trailed by just four points, 43-39, after Saba hit a jumper four minutes into the third quarter, and the hosts had a chance to make it a one possession game after STAC came up empty on the ensuing possession. McCue registered a block for the Spartans and a jumper by Erickson was followed by two free throws by McCue—putting the STAC lead back up to eight points, 47-39, midway through the third quarter. The Spartans managed just three points the rest of the quarter, but Daemen was unable to cut into the lead and the visitors took a 50-43 lead into the final quarter.

The STAC lead was still seven points, 54-47, four minutes into the fourth quarter, when the Spartans took control with five unanswered points. A layup by sophomore Ruth Adams (San Diego, Calf.) with 4:20 left to play capped the spurt and gave STAC a 59-47 lead. Daemen cut the lead to 10 points four times down the stretch, but the hosts could come no closer.

Daemen shot 37-percent (21-for-56) from the field overall and finished 5-for-16 from downtown. The hosts made 7-of-10 from the charity stripe. STAC shot just 33-percent (22-for-66) from the field overall. The Spartans did not convert a three-point attempt in the second half (0-5) and finished just 5-for-20 from behind the arc. The visitors finished 16-of-22 from the charity stripe.

The Spartans collected 17 offensive rebounds and finished with a 45-35 edge in total rebiounds. STAC posted a commanding 28-14 advantage in points in the paint.

Daemen is idle until next Wednesday (1/11) when it travels to regionally-ranked Queens College for a league game.

GAME NOTES: Saba was presented a commemorative ball before tonight's tip off for becoming the 23rd member of Daemen's 1,000-Point Club. She eclipsed the milestone last week during a loss to Saint Michael's College. Saba has played in all 69 games over the past three seasons (65 as a starter) and has totaled 1,072 points (15.5 ppg) and 480 rebounds (7.0 rpg. She has scored in double figures in 60 of her 69 career games.

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