SPARKILL, N.Y. – Senior Kaitlyn McCue (Bergenfield, N.J.) totaled 12 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and junior Alex Bertolino (Garnerville, N.Y.) added 13 points in just 15 minutes off the bench to lead St. Thomas Aquinas College to a 61-46 victory over Daemen College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball play.

Daemen suffered its second-straight loss and dropped to 10-13 overall and 7-8 in the ECC. STAC snapped its two-game losing skid and improved to 17-9 overall and 11-5 in the league. STAC moved into second place in the ECC standings with the win, while Daemen is now tied with LIU Post for sixth place with three games to play. The top six teams advance to the ECC Championship Tournament, which begins March 1.

Senior Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) scored in double figures for the 10th-straight game for Daemen and finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Erin Egan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) added eight points, seven rebounds and three assists in 19 minutes off the bench. Junior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster), who entered the game averaging 16.4 points, played just five minutes in the first half due to foul trouble and finished with five points in 19 minutes of action. Daemen was also with the services of freshman Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y./Immaculata), the team's leading three-point shooter and third leading scorer.

It was a tough first five minutes of the game for Daemen. The Wildcats were was off the mark on their first seven shots, committed four turnovers and watched Saba head to the bench after picking up her second foul. The Spartans took advantage with nine unanswered points to start the game. The lead was still nine points, 13-4, when Daemen got a three-pointer by freshman Sydney Jones (Clifton Springs, N.Y./) with 2:13 left in the first quarter. STAC scored the final four points of the frame and took a 17-7 lead into the second quarter.

STAC took its largest lead of the half, 19-7, just 26 seconds into the second quarter, but Daemen answered with an 11-2 run and cut the lead to three points, 21-18, following a layup by Egan with 5:26 left in the half. Daemen later cut the lead to a point, 23-22, following a jumper by junior Liz Miles (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) with 2:20 left in the frame, but both teams struggled to score down the stretch and STAC took a 24-22 lead into the half.

Back-to-back layups by McDonell at the start of the second half gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game, but STAC responded with an 11-3 run and opened up a double-digit lead, 37-27, following a three-pointer by Betrolino with 3:31 left in the third quarter. Egan followed with two free throws 20 seconds later, but STAC scored the final five points of the quarter and the hosts took a 42-29 lead into the fourth.

The teams traded baskets early in the fourth before back-to-back buckets by Saba—the second a three-pointer—gave Daemen the momentum and cut the lead to eight points, 49-41. Daemen's momentum would be short-lived, as Saba picked up her fifth and disqualifying foul moments later and the Spartans eventually regained a 14-point lead, 56-42, after junior Adiya Henderson (Troy, N.Y.) made one-of-two free throws with 2:18 remaining. Daemen came no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.

Daemen struggled from the field all game and finished 18-for-58 (31%) from the field overall. The Wildcats entered the game ranked second among ECC teams in three-pointers made per game (7.4) and three-point field goal percentage (.331), but connected on just 3-of-16 from downtown tonight. STAC shot 41-percent (12-29) from the field in the second half and finished 21-for-57 (37%) overall. The Spartans made just 2-of-19 from behind the arc, but outscored the Wildcats 17-7 from the free throw line.

The Spartans posted a 45-32 edge in total rebounds, including a 20-13 edge in offensive boards. Daemen turned the ball over 17 times, which STAC converted into a 16-9 edge in points off turnovers.

Daemen returns to action Saturday (Feb. 18) when it hosts regionally-ranked Molloy College in a league game.

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