DeLand, Fla. ? Down by as many as 16 points in the second half to visiting Furman Thursday night at the Edmunds Center, the Stetson women's basketball team (1-9) chopped the lead down to three points with under two minutes to play but ultimately could get no closer, falling 64-55. Senior forward Vlendy Roldan (Kissimmee, Fla.) scored a season-high 12 points and grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds.
When Furman's Kali Holtfreter converted a layup with 9:39 remaining to extend her team's lead to 16 points for the third time in the second half, the game appeared out of reach. However, Stetson would not go so quietly, going on a 13-4 run that was capped off by a rare four-point play. Hatter junior guard Sharnesha Smith (Kingsland, Ga.) was knocked over by Katie Johnson while draining a three-pointer from the right corner, then sank the free throw to make it a seven-point game with 6:55 to play.
Although the Lady Paladins would push their lead back to 10 points, the Hatters had one last burst in them, scoring seven unanswered points. Sophomore forward Ashli Jackson (Opelika, Ala.) made a turnaround jumper in the paint with 1:51 to go to trim the deficit to 56-53, but a clutch basket on the other end by Johnson gave Furman a two-possession lead it would not relinquish. Furman sealed its victory by hitting all six of its foul shots in the final minute.
Roldan set a Stetson season high by making six of eight field goal attempts (.750) and added a block and a steal to go with her 12 points and nine rebounds. Senior guard Kellie Olson (Tucson, Ariz.) joined her classmate in double figures, shooting 50 percent from the field (4-8) and finishing with 10 points.
Stetson's third senior, guard Jamie Nesbit (Tucson, Ariz.) tied her season high with nine points thanks to a trio of three-pointers while Smith scored eight points and dished out a game-high four assists. Junior center Ayesha Barkley tied her career high with three blocked shots as she drew within two of Audrey Kull '01 for 10th place on the Hatter career rejections list. Barkley has 39 career blocks.
Holtpreter hit four trifectas on her way to a game-high 17 points for Furman while Johnson had a strong game on the blocks with 12 points, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks. Chrissy Phelps added 10 points for the Lady Paladins (4-6).
Stetson trailed 35-22 at the intermission after a prolonged cold spell to begin the game. The Hatters fell behind 11-0 and 18-3, not cracking the scoreboard until Olson hit a three-pointer with 12:56 left in the half. Nesbit tallied six of her nine points in the first half.
The Hatters were dominated on the boards (22-11) in the first half but toughened up to win the rebounding battle in the second period (18-15). Stetson shot a season-high 46.7 percent from distance, knocking down seven of 15 three-point attempts.
Stetson's four-game homestand continues Saturday when Presbyterian arrives at the Edmunds Center for a 3 p.m. tip-off. Hatter fans can listen to and watch the action live on www.gohatters.com through Hatter Vision with Bill Topping providing play-by-play.
