Amherst, N.Y. - For the first time since the 2018-2019 season, the East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Final will not feature St. Thomas Aquinas College as one of its two representatives competing for the league's championship title, following a stunning 76-62 semifinal defeat at the hands of No. 6 Roberts Wesleyan University on Saturday evening at Lumsden Gymnasium on the Daemen University Campus.

STAC slips to 17-12 overall and awaits the decision makers within the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Selection Committee to possibly call their name as one of the five at-large bid squads. Meanwhile, Roberts Wesleyan improves to 10-16 and punches its ticket to championship Sunday against top seed and hosts Daemen University.

Starrell Hearns posted a game-high 24 points for the Spartans, while Derrick James (16 points) also scored in double figures. For the Redhawks, Collin Woods led the way with 18 points.

St. Thomas Aquinas shot 31.7 percent (20-63) from the field, while Roberts Wesleyan shot 46.2 percent (24-52) from the floor and 80.0 percent (20-25) from the foul line.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest.
• Derrick James led the maroon and gold with three assists on the evening.
• Starrell Hearns hit 8 of his 19 field goal attempts and 6-of-7 free throws. Derrick James went 4-for-14 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the foul line.
• Roberts Wesleyan out-rebounded STAC by a 43-33 margin, with Starrell Hearns also grabbing a game-high nine boards for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas swiped seven steals, with the Redhawks turning the ball over on 16 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned one advantage in the team statistical categories over Roberts Wesleyan: Second Chance Points (14-2).
• The game featured three ties and five lead changes.
• St. Thomas Aquinas trailed Roberts Wesleyan 31-23 at the half and shot 25.0 percent (8-32) from the field, 27.3 percent (3-11) from three and 80.0 percent (4-5) from the charity stripe.
• Starrell Hearns and Derrick James led all Spartans' scorers with nine first half points apiece.

ROBERTS WESLEYAN NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Eight Redhawks logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Collin Woods led Roberts Wesleyan with 18 points, while teammates Keonjay Carter (17 points), Jordan Brown (14 points) and Khalik Gardner (13 points) also scored in double figures.
• Jordan Brown also led Roberts Wesleyan with five assists apiece on the night.
• Woods went 6-for-12 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. Carter connected on 6-of-12 field goal attempts, with 3-of-4 going in from long distance. He also was a perfect 2-for-2 from the foul line.
• Mohamed Soumahoro grabbed a team-high eight boards for the Redhawks.
• Roberts Wesleyan picked up seven steals, with the Spartans turning the ball over on ten separate occasions.
• The Redhawks earned advantages in four key team statistical categories over St. Thomas Aquinas: Points off Turnovers (17-12), Points in the Paint (24-22), Fastbreak Points (10-6) and Bench Points (22-9).
• Roberts Wesleyan had its largest lead of the game (16 points) with just under a minute to play in the contest, 71-55, on a pair of Jordan Brown free throws.
• Collin Woods led all scorers at the half with 14 points for the Redhawks, with Woods shooting 75.0 percent (6-of-8) from the field and 50.0 percent (2-of-4) from beyond the arc.
• This is the first appearance in the ECC Men's Basketball title game for Roberts Wesleyan since joining the league in 2011.