SPARKILL, N.Y. – Stephanie Lebel scored 20 points and hauled down 11 rebounds to help pace Husson College of Bangor to a 63-54 women’s basketball victory over host St. Thomas Aquinas College here Friday.

The win boosted Husson’s record to 8-0. The Braves are ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Division II national rankings. St. Thomas Aquinas (5-4) is No. 14.

The game was a back-and-forth affair with neither team getting more than a two-point lead until late in the second half.

Michelle Hamlin scored six points in the last five minutes to spark the Braves and help key the team to a five-point lead with five minutes left that it didn’t relinquish.

“We used the clock to our advantage,” said Husson Coach Kissy Walker. “And our pressure defense really slowed them down, especially later on.”

For the Braves, Anne Cote scored 17 points despite fouling out with three minutes left in the game.

Colleen Fitzpatrick scored 13 points to lead the Spartans. Deborah Pope and Coleen Dolan each scored 11.

Husson will play eighth-ranked Georgian Court College at Lakewood, N.J., Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. game.

Braves 63, Spartans 54

Husson St. Thomas Aquinas

Name AG G AF F TP Name AG G AF F TP

Cote 9 6 7 5 17 Curry 2 2 2 2 6

Newman 1 0 0 0 0 Pope 6 4 6 3 11

Mazerall 7 4 1 0 9 Dolan 10 5 2 1 11

Shaw 0 0 0 0 0 Celluci 0 0 0 0 0

Wildman 2 1 2 2 4 Gallagher 0 0 0 0 0

Grant 1 0 0 0 0 Rickard 0 0 2 1 1

Collins 2 1 2 2 4 Schultz 10 1 2 2 4

Parker 3 0 1 0 0 McNulty 0 0 0 0 0

Dyer 0 0 2 1 1 Mani 7 3 6 2 8

Hamlin 8 3 3 2 8 Fitzpatrick 10 6 3 1 13

Lebel 16 8 4 4 20

Totals 49 23 22 16 63 Totals 45 21 23 12 54

Husson 29 63

St. Thomas Aquinas 27 54

3-pt. goals: Husson (1-1): Mazerall 1-1; St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0)