WATERBURY, Conn. –  It was a highly anticipated home opener for Post University Men's Basketball squaring off against St. Thomas Aquinas College, who is ranked 19th in the D2CSC National Poll and receiving votes in the NABC National Poll, while the Eagles are receiving votes in both respective polls. The matchup lived up to the hype before the Spartans were able to take control at the start of the second half and never let go of their grip en route to an 88-76 road win over Post, snapping their three-game winning streak to start the season and two-game winning streak in the head-to-head. 

THE BASICS

(RV) Post University 76, RV/#19 St. Thomas Aquinas College 88

(RV) Post University (3-1)

RV/#19 St. Thomas Aquinas College (3-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams came out of the gates blistering hot as Post shot 57.1% from the floor going 16-for-28 overall with a 46.1% performance from three after making 6-of-13. But equally as impressive were the Spartans who shot an even 50% from the field, making 18-of-26 shots and draining 4-of-13 threes to maintain what would be a one-point lead into halftime, 45-44. All 14 of the lead changes and three ties would come in the first half with both teams leading by as many as nine points through the first 20 minutes of action and going on runs to get their respective sides back in the game.

Exchanging one-possession leads in the first eight minutes, graduate forward Harrison Warnock kicked off a 10-0 run for the Eagles with his three to give them the lead, 21-19, followed by five straight points by senior forward Deng Deang and a layup by junior guard Tre Duncan to make it a nine-point game, 28-19. Still trailing by nine, 30-21, the Spartans would mount a 10-0 run of their own to regain a one-point lead, 31-30, with scoring from four different players. 

Senior forward Luis Risquez's six-point stretch, with St. Thomas Aquinas ahead by one, 37-36, helped lead an 8-0 run to put the Spartans ahead by nine, 45-36, their largest lead of the half, before once more the Eagles punched back. Ending the half on their own 8-0 run, Post pulled with one point heading into the half, 45-44, using senior guard Robert Sanders' two free throws, senior guard Bol Akot's four-point play, and a layup from Warnock.

But the scathing hot shooting for the visitors continued to the tune of a 51.6% performance from the field leading to a 50.7% shooting night overall while the Eagles shot just 38.1%, going 8-for-21 overall and 1-for-12 from three. St. Thomas Aquinas would lead by as many as 17 points, 76-59, with 6:33 left, and the closest Post would be able to get was within 10 points on four occasions after that, but never any closer as the Spartans came away with a 88-76 road win to hand the Eagles their first loss of the campaign. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Five players finished in double figures for Post University with Bol Akot leading the way with 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting with 8-of-9 free throws made 
• Five players also finished in double figures for St. Thomas Aquinas College which were led by Shaun Arnold's 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting with one three made 
• Post University falls to 1-1 when trailing at halftime this season and remains 2-0 when leading at the half this year -- Since the beginning of last year, the Eagles are 8-8 when trailing at halftime
• In the all-time series, this is the first time in which either team has won by double digits as Post University won by eight and two points while St. Thomas Aquinas College won by nine and seven points entering the day in the head-to-head

WHO'S NEXT
Post University continues a three-game homestand with a matchup against the College of Staten Island slated for Wednesday night at 7:00 PM in the Drubner Center. This will be the first time the two teams will face each other in program history.