Over the past five years, the Aquinas athletic department has continued its storied tradition of athletic success in the form of individual national championships, incredible postseason runs, WHAC championships, record-breaking performances, and a tremendous number of athletic and academic All-America honorees.
 
We wanted to provide our fans with an enjoyable look back at some of the best moments from all of our athletic programs since 2015. Over the next two months, we will highlight a few programs each week - 25 programs in total - and provide a reminder of why it's great to be an Aquinas Saint.

The goal of nearly every team is to be playing its best towards the end of the season, when postseason play begins. With 14 wins in its final 17 games, the 2018-19 Aquinas women's basketball team was playing to its full potential in the second half of the season, capturing a WHAC Championship appearance and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament.
 
From January 5th to February 13th, 2019, the Saints rattled off 11 consecutive wins by an average margin of 19.6 points per game. That 11-game stretch included blowout victories of 38, 21, 34, 18, 47, and 29 points and only three of those 11 games were decided by five points or less. After a two-point road loss snapped the streak, AQ closed the regular season with a victory and hosted a pair of WHAC Tournament contests in the Sturrus Center.
 
One of the top defensive teams in the country that season (the Saints allowed just 56.5 points per game, seventh-best in NAIA Division II in 2018-19), AQ used a 54-48 victory over Concordia in the opening round to set up a semifinal matchup with Rochester three days later. The teams split their regular season contests, with each team winning on the opponents' home floor. Playing in the Sturrus Center, a thrilling WHAC Semifinal game went down to the final minutes, with the Saints prevailing in a 54-49 victory that solidified two notable achievements.
 
The semifinal win clinched a berth in the WHAC Championship for the first time since 2007-08 and also notched a bid for AQ in the NAIA National Tournament, the program's first Nationals appearance since the 2009-10 campaign. #23 Aquinas was unable to knock off #7 Indiana Tech in the WHAC Championship in Fort Wayne, with the Warriors pulling away down the stretch to capture a 57-41 victory.
 
Despite the championship loss, the then-#21 Saints made their first trip to NAIA Nationals in nearly a decade and matched up with #13 Hastings in Sioux City, Iowa. The Broncos earned a tough 54-46 opening round win over AQ, ending the Saints' magical season with a 25-9 overall record. Aquinas finished the year just two wins shy of tying the program record of 27 victories, while also recording the most wins at AQ since the 2007-08 season.
 
One week later, senior forward Michaela Faber – who set a new school record with 25 rebounds in the Nationals loss to Hastings – was named a Third Team All-American. That honor came after Faber and fellow senior Hannah Brefeld were tabbed as All-WHAC First Team honorees and junior wing Carley Andrews earned WHAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades. 

Next Moment: Thursday, September 24th

Previous Moments: 
Women's Volleyball: Saints Capture First WHAC Title in 22 Years
Men's Cross Country: Aquinas Men Earn 2018 WHAC Championship 
Women's Soccer: Saints Women Pick Up First National Tournament Win
Women's Cross Country: Saints Win 2017 WHAC Championship for Fourth Straight Title
Men's Soccer: Tahlan's Buzzer Beater Stuns Trinity Christian
Esports: AQ Earns Rocket League National Runner-Up Finish
Cheer: Cheer Team Finishes 9th at 2019 Nationals
Men's Bowling: Sixth-Seeded Men's Bowling Rolls to 2015 WHAC Title