Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team tipped off its 2025-26 season, hosting American International College on Saturday afternoon at Aquinas Hall Gymnasium. Hot outside shooting by Yellow Jackets players Ruzgar Christina Boyle and Peyton Grant sent the host Spartans to a 73-58 defeat.

STAC falls to 0-1 on the season, while AIC moves to 1-0.

Jona Kabashi led maroon and gold offense with 11 points, while Cassidy Mahaney (10 points) also scored in double digits. Both Chelsea Reeves and the aforementioned Ruzgar Christina Boyle led all scorers, recording 16 points apiece for the visiting Yellow Jackets.

St. Thomas Aquinas shot 36.5 percent from the field (19-52), while American International shot 33.8 percent (22-65) from the floor and 40.0 percent (12-30) from beyond the arc.

STAC NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Nine Spartans logged double-digit minutes in the contest.
• Bailey Chapman led the maroon and gold with three assists on the afternoon.
• Jona Kabashi hit 5 of her 10 field goal attempts, with Cassidy Mahaney going 3-for-10 from the floor and 3-of-6 from the foul line.
• American International out-rebounded STAC by a slim 41-40 margin, with Chapman and Delaney Finnegan each grabbing a team-high seven boards apiece for the Spartans.
• St. Thomas Aquinas picked up 14 steals, with the Yellow Jackets turning the ball over on 17 separate occasions.
• The Spartans earned one advantage in the team statistical categories over American International: Points in the Paint (26-18).
• The game featured four ties and four lead changes.
• St. Thomas Aquinas trailed American International, 35-25 at the half and shot 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from the field.
• Cassidy Mahaney led all Spartans scorers with eight first half points, while shooting 33.3 percent (2-of-6) from the field and 50.0 percent (3-for-6) from the foul line.

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ten Yellow Jackets logged double-digit minutes in the contest. 
• Chelsea Reeves and Ruzgar Christina Boyle led all scorers with 16 points apiece for American International, while teammates Peyton Grant (15 points) and Keyvanna Bennett (13 points) also scored in double digits.
• Tia-Marie Martinez led American International with five assists apiece on the day.
• Reeves went 4-for-7 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, with Boyle hitting 5 of her 14 field goal attempts and 5-of-12 shots connecting from beyond the arc.
• Keyvanna Bennett also grabbed a game-high eight boards for the Yellow Jackets.
• American International picked up 11 steals, with the Spartans turning the ball over on 23 separate occasions.
• The Yellow Jackets earned advantages in three team statistical categories over St. Thomas Aquinas: Points Off Turnovers (24-20), Second Chance Points (14-9) and Fastbreak Points (7-2).
• AIC had its largest lead of the game (28 points) with just under eight minutes to play in the contest, 69-41, on a Ruzgar Christina Boyle three pointer.
• Keyvanna Bennett, Ruzgar Christina Boyle and Peyton Grant led all scorers at the half with nine points apiece for the Yellow Jackets.
• American International's best shooting quarter came in the third stanza, with the Yellow Jackets shooting 41.2 percent (7-17) from the field, 50.0 percent (4-8) from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent (9-12) from the foul line.

UP NEXT:

STAC has a quick turnaround, hosting Assumption University at Aquinas Hall on Sunday (November 16). Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.