DeLand, Fla. ? Stetson sophomore Ashli Jackson (Opelika, Ala./Opelika HS) led all scorers with 21 points and freshman Tierra Brown (Orlando, Fla./First Academy) chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Hatters (4-19, 2-8) fell 73-62 to the A-Sun's top ranked Lady Buccaneers from ETSU (13-10, 9-1).
Down by 17 points late in the second half, the Hatters put a scare into the Lady Buccaneers. With 4:50 remaining on the clock Jackson launched a personal crusade to get Stetson back into the game. She knocked down four 3-point field goals over the next one minute and 45 seconds and Stetson was down by just nine 71-62. In the final 3:05 however, a pair of free throws by ETSU senior Michelle DeVault (Columbus, OH/Upper Arlington HS) represented the only points by either team.
With another 3-pointer by Jackson earlier in the half, she finished 5-for-6 in that category. It was her career-high and the first time a Hatter had hit five 3-pointers in a game since Jamie Nesbit did it last season against Navy (1/2/07). Jackson's 21 points today was one point shy of her career-high 22 versus Mercer (1/19/08.
The Lady Buccaneers took the lead at 13:35 of the first half on a free throw by sophomore Latisha Belcher (Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista HS) and never trailed again. Belcher and senior Jenny Norman (Peachtree City, Ga./Starrs Mill HS) led the team with 20 points each. It was a career-high scoring effort for Belcher to go along with her game-high eight rebounds. Freshman Tara Davis (Murfreesboro, Tenn./Oakland HS) spent the afternoon setting up her teammates and tied her career-high in assists with seven.
Stetson junior Ayesha Barkley (East Orange, NJ/Cicely Tyson HS) and Brown led the Hatters under the glass with seven rebounds tying a season-high for Brown. Freshman Brittany Carannante (Clearwater, Fla./Clearwater HS) set a career-high with five assists in the game.
Monday night at 7:00 pm the Hatters will host USC Upstate in the Edmunds Center. Fans can go to www.gohatters.com and see the game on Hatter Vision with Bill Topping calling the action, or come on out and support the team in person.
