DeLand, Fla. ? Jacksonville spoiled the women's basketball senior day, taking the win over the Hatters 59-66 at the Edmunds Center on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Janene Maclin (Chicago, Ill.), in her final game at home, led the Hatters with her fifth double-double of the season recording 15 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Kellie Olson (Tucson, Ariz.) added 11 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Sharnesha Smith (Kingsland, Ga.) followed with 10 points, including 6-7 from the charity strip.
The first half fell in favor of the Hatters. Stetson took control early on a lay-up by Maclin to get things started. The Dolphins could not find their rhythm in the first half, shooting just 28% from the floor. The Hatters dominated at the basket, shooting 65% from the field. Stetson took their largest lead of the game going up by 17 on a pair of free throws from Maclin, with 7:07 remaining in the first half.
Both teams struggled with finding an open passing lane to move the ball around the court. Stetson had 16 turnovers in the first half, while Jacksonville had 10.
The Hatters kept up the running game and took a 30-24 lead into the half.
The second half Jacksonville slowly chipped away at the Hatter lead. With 7:48 remaining the Dolphins took their first lead of the game, 46-45, on a free throw by DaVina Hamilton. After that the Hatters struggled to find the offensive rhythm that they had in the first half. The Dolphins continued to put pressure on Stetson forcing turnovers and bad shot selections. Jacksonville slowly pulled further ahead as the game was winding down. The Dolphins took a seven point lead with 1:11 remaining; the Hatters were able to pull within three on a jumper by Olson. As minutes turned into seconds the Hatters had to start fouling to slow the clock. Jacksonville took advantage at the line going 8-8 in the last 33 seconds of the game to take the win 66-59.
After the game Stetson's two seniors Janene Maclin and Kim Manning (Daytona Beach, Fla.) were honored for their commitment to the women's basketball program over the past four years.
The Hatters next game will be Friday, March 2 in Johnson City, Tennessee at East Tennessee State University at 1:00 pm.
