DeLand, Fla. - Junior forward Jessica Conner (Cocoa, Fla.) scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Stetson women's basketball team (1-7, 1-1 Atlantic Sun) to its first win of the 2009-10 season, a 69-61 victory over league rival USC Upstate (5-4, 0-1 A-Sun) Thursday night at the Edmunds Center. Junior guard Tierra Brown (Orlando, Fla.) added a season-high 16 points plus six rebounds and five assists for the Hatters.
Although USC Upstate rallied from a 17-point first half deficit to take a 56-55 lead on a Tee'Ara Copney basket with just under five minutes to play in the game, Stetson would weather the storm and get back in front to stay. With 3:09 to go, junior guard Kerri Simpson (Charleston, Tenn.) drove to the hoop and drew the fifth foul on Spartans star forward Chelsea McMillan (15.0 ppg and 10.8 rpg entering the night), knocking her out of the game. Simpson then sank both free throws to put the Hatters back ahead 57-56, jumpstarting a 7-2 spurt over the next two minutes that sealed the win. She also drained a key three-pointer with 2:02 remaining that boosted the lead from one point to four.
Conner did the majority of her damage in the first half, tallying 15 points and 11 rebounds before intermission. She reached double-double status with 6:00 left in the first half. Her final four points of the game came in the final 75 seconds to erase Spartan rallies. Conner's 22 points marked the most points scored by a Hatter this season.
Simpson finished with eight points and a career-high nine rebounds to bolster the Stetson cause while junior center Natasha Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) made her presence felt with nine points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal in her Stetson debut. Graboski had sat out the previous two semesters after transferring from the University of Cincinnati last winter. Junior center Daphnee Frieson (Mobile, Ala.) added nine points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Freshman forward Simone Taylor (Delray Beach, Fla.) swatted three shots.
With McMillan out for much of the game with foul trouble, the Hatters used their height advantage to dominate the rebound battle 56-33. USC Upstate kept itself in the game with tough defense and ball control; the Spartans forced 35 turnovers while committing just 14 themselves. Kendra Wallace knocked down five three-pointers on her way to a team-high 19 points while point guard Lesley Daniel added 10 points, four assists and four steals. Lauren McRoberts grabbed 11 rebounds for the Spartans.
The Hatters continue a four-game homestand Monday at 5 p.m. when they host Volusia County rival Bethune-Cookman. Live Stats and the Hatter Vision webcast with Bill Topping and Dee Romine are available as always at www.GoHatters.com, the official online home of Stetson Athletics.
