Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Jan. 9, 2009) – The C.W. Post women's basketball team, led by 21 points from junior guard Janea Aiken (St. Albans, N.Y.) and 19 from sophomore guard Felicia Joyner (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), rolled to an East Coast Conference victory over St. Thomas Aquinas, 71-53, on Saturday afternoon at the Pratt Recreation Center.

The Pioneers improve to 10-3 overall and 5-2 in the conference, while the Spartans slip to 6-6 overall and 2-4 in ECC play.

The game began as a back-and-forth affair that saw six ties and twelve lead changes in just the first half  alone. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half, with the Spartans shooting at a 25% clip (7-27) and the Pioneers only a hair better at 30% (10-33). 

Neither team was able to pull away, and the largest lead of the half for the Pioneers was at 16:06 when they led 5-2. However, the Pioneers were bolstered by 10 first-half points from Joyner, who shot 4-9 from the floor.

With 39 seconds remaining before the halftime break, the score was tied at 23-23, and following a missed shot by each team, it looked as though it would remain deadlocked, but Aiken grabbed a rebound and swished the putback for a 25-23 Pioneer lead heading into halftime. 

The second half saw both the offense and defense click into place for the Pioneers. STAC started out the half tying up the game at 25-25, but the hosts quickly regained the lead on a jumper by Joyner at 19:23, and Aiken sank two free throws to give C.W. Post a four point lead, 29-25, at 18:55.

Another free throw from Aiken gave the Pioneers a five-point edge, but a trey from STAC's Colleen Vogel quickly cut the home team's lead to two points, 30-28, at 17:43. However, over the next four and a half minutes, the Pioneers went on a 14-1 romp, capitalizing on several Spartan turnovers caused by the host's full-court pressure defense. 

The run gave C.W. Post a 44-29 edge over STAC, and the hosts led by 15, but the Spartans clawed back for five straight points to cut the lead to 10. However, a jumper by senior forward Chantee Hallett (Bronx, N.Y.) at 11:04, and a trey from senior guard Gina Catherall (Bayside, N.Y.) at 9:48 pushed the C.W. Post lead back to 15 points. The lead would remain in double digits for the remainder of the game, fluctuating between 11 and 13 points, and growing to as many as 19, at the 4:04 mark. 

Aiken's 21 points were a game-high, and the junior also added five steals and three assists to her final statline. Joining Joyner and Aiken in double figures was Catherall with 10 points and a game-high six assists. C.W. Post shot much better in the second half, and finished the game making 26-63 for a 41% clip. The hosts dominated the Spartans in the paint, holding a 46-34 rebounding edge and outscoring the visitors 42-16. The Pioneers also scored 28 points off 22 turnovers.

STAC was led by 16 points from sophomore guard Sylvia Davis. The Spartans shot 32% for the game, and finished 6-20 from behind the arc, and 15-24 from the charity stripe.

C.W. Post will be back in action on January 13, as they host Bridgeport in a 5 p.m. clash at the Pratt Recreation Center.