Kennesaw, Ga. ? Freshman guard Tierra Brown (Orlando, Fla./First Academy) made the game-winning layup with 6.5 seconds left as the Stetson women's basketball team (7-19, 5-8 Atlantic Sun) defeated host Kennesaw State (14-11, 9-4 A-Sun) 55-54 Monday night at the KSU Convocation Center. A second Hatter freshman, guard Brittany Carannante (Clearwater, Fla./Clearwater HS) blocked KSU's buzzer-beating layup attempt to save the victory. Junior guard Sharnesha Smith (Kingsland, Ga.) scored 18 points for the second consecutive game as the Hatters extend their season-high winning streak to three.
With 2:39 to go and Stetson down one, Carannante stepped to the line and knocked down two free throws to give the Hatters a 49-48 lead. Following a KSU turnover on the ensuing possession, junior center Ayesha Barkley (East Orange, N.J.) sank a basket while being fouled by Lady Owl center Montinique Nixon, fouling Nixon out. The subsequent free throw put Stetson up four.
The Lady Owls had a great chance to tie with 28 seconds left, but Britteny Henderson could not get her finger roll attempt in the paint to fall and Barkley pulled down the rebound in traffic. Henderson immediately fouled, sending Stetson's premiere shotblocker to the foul line. She made one to extend the lead to 53-50.
Unfortunately for Stetson, Carannante was called for an over-the-back foul on the rebound of the second shot; DeAndrea Bullock made both ends of the one-and-one to cut the lead to one. Things got worse for the Hatters as they were called for a five-second violation on the inbounds and Henderson converted the layup that put the Owls ahead.
Stetson would not be intimidated by the crowd's explosion; without the benefit of a timeout, Carannante brought the ball down the floor and got it into the hands of Brown, who proceeded to ruin KSU's senior night with a drive to the left block and the layup that won the game. Jennifer Baker's desperate drive down the court and layup was blocked by Carannante as the buzzer sounded.
Smith led all scorers with 18 points, also recording five rebounds, five assists and two blocks while Barkley contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Brown had seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Carannante had eight points, three boards, two steals and the game-saving rejection.
Henderson and Nixon co-led KSU with 12 points each while Baker scored 10 points. Henderson grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Trailing 31-29 at halftime, Stetson took a 35-34 lead with 14:24 to go on a Jessica Conner (Cocoa, Fla./Cocoa HS) turnaround jumper in traffic after her offensive rebound. After a trade of baskets, the Owls went on a 4-0 spurt to claim a 40-37 advantage. Again Stetson would respond in kind and when Smith's three-quarter court pass found sophomore forward Ashli Jackson (Opelika, Ala.) under the basket for a wide open layup with approximately eight minutes to go, the Hatters had the lead back at 41-40.
Starting off the game, the Hatters hit their first two shots from the field, both threes, to take an early 6-2 lead. Kennesaw State scored the next five points to take the lead and then the two teams traded baskets (mainly three-pointers) for the next 10 minutes. The Hatters led 13-12 at the under-eight minute media timeout of the first half without making a field goal from inside the arc; they hit three trifectas and made four of four free throw attempts.
The back-and-forth action continued for the rest of the half as each team seemed to immediately respond in kind to any made field goal or free throw. Neither Stetson nor KSU ever had a lead of more than four points in the half as Brown's free throw with five seconds left in the first period made the score at the break 31-29 in favor of the Lady Owls.
Smith had 11 points for the Hatters to lead all scorers while Barkley and Carannante scored six each. Jennifer Baker led KSU with eight points.
Stetson will look to extend its winning streak as it hosts the final three games of the regular season at the Edmunds Center, starting with Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles and Hatters tip off at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 as Bill Topping broadcasts the action with webcast available through Hatter Vision. All audiovisual materials are available through the official online home of Stetson Athletics, www.gohatters.com.
