DeLand, Fla. ? The second-largest women's basketball crowd in the history of the Edmunds Center (1,703 fans) was treated to an emphatic victory by the Stetson women's basketball team (3-4, 2-0 Atlantic Sun) over visiting Campbell (4-3, 0-2 A-Sun) on Monday. Senior point guard Sharnesha Smith (Kingsland, Ga.) led the way for the Hatters with 13 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal. Stetson remains perfect at home this season (3-0) and starts conference play with a 2-0 record for the first time since 1998-99.
Stetson led from the opening tip and never let the Camels get closer than four points in the second half. The combination of tough Hatter defense and cold Campbell offense resulted in the Camels going nearly eight minutes without a field goal down the stretch. Stetson has now defeated Campbell seven consecutive times at home dating back to the 2001-02 season.
The Hatters knocked down seven of 15 three-point attempts in the game, a statistic that allowed them to effectually nullify Campbell's massive 56-32 rebounding advantage. The visitors were particularly relentless on the offensive glass, pulling down 29 offensive boards to Stetson's 26 defensive rebounds. However, the Camels could not take advantage as they shot a frigid 17-69 (.246) from the floor in the game, including a dismal 0-18 from three-point land.
Freshman guard Jessica Bivins (Orlando, Fla.) scored 12 points to aid Stetson while sophomore guard Tierra Brown (Orlando, Fla.) added nine points of her own. Sophomore center Jessica Conner (Cocoa, Fla.) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and added six points in the process. Smith increased her season average to nearly 5.6 assists per game; she leads the A-Sun and is ranked 28th in the nation in that category.
Camels center Gara Bell had a strong game in defeat, putting up a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double. Jessica Mack added 10 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
The huge crowd, more than double the previous second-largest attendance figure, was due to the presence of the student body from several area middle and elementary schools on Stetson's Volusia County School Day.
“Although I clearly don't like the fact we got hammered on the glass, I was pleased with our field goal percentage (.400) and we will take this win,” Head Coach Lynn Bria said. “Our team is doing a very good job of finishing games right now. We did a much better job in the second half in terms of intensity and taking the ball to the basket to draw fouls.”
The Hatters will now play their next six games on the road, starting with a two-game swing through South Carolina later this week. Stetson visits Presbyterian for an 11:30 a.m. tip-off this Thursday, Dec. 18 before taking on Coastal Carolina at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. Bill Topping will call all the action for Stetson fans; his broadcast can be heard through Hatter Vision at the official online home of Stetson Athletics, www.GoHatters.com.
