Dothan, Ala. ? Despite a strong start, the Hatters could not maintain the momentum needed to beat Jacksonville on the first day of the Atlantic Sun Tournament.
Stetson got the game started with a jumper by sophomore Sharnesha Smith (Kingsland, Ga.). The Dolphins pushed as much as a five point lead before a lay-up by junior Vlendy Roldan (Kissimmee, Fla.) put the Hatters up by one with 12:16 remaining in the first half.
Stetson and Jacksonville traded leads for the next four minutes, and then the Dolphins took control. The Dolphins went up by 14 with 2:05 remaining in the half on a lay-up by Ashley Williams.
The Hatters were led in the first half by Smith, with eight points and Roldan with six. Stetson shot an impressive 61 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes versus the Dolphins 47, but offensive rebounding by Jacksonville allowed them to take a 42-32 lead into halftime.
The second half was once again kicked off by the Hatters with a jumper by junior Kellie Olson (Tucson, Ariz.). The Hatters came within five points of closing the Dolphin lead on another jumper by Olson with 16:27 remaining. Stetson continued to play strong defense and execute their offense but could not find the shots they needed to regain the lead.
The difference in the game came from the offensive rebounding by the Dolphins. Jacksonville had 20 offensive rebounds against the Hatters 12.
Jacksonville did not allow Stetson to come any closer, pushing the lead up to as much as 18 with 5:18 left in the game. The Dolphins received outstanding play from Virginia Gregoire, who tallied 14 second half points to end the evening with a game-high 25 points, including 2-3 from beyond the arc.
The Hatters were led by Smith with a team-high 17 points and Olson with 10 points. Olson shot 2-4 from three point range and 4-7 from the field. Stetson's two seniors Kim Manning (Daytona Beach, Fla.) and Janene Maclin (Chicago, Ill.) ended their Stetson careers with 4 points and eight points respectively.
The A-Sun tournament continues with the championship game taking place on Sunday, March 11.
