Tampa, Fla. - A seven-point lead early in the second half for the Stetson women's basketball team (5-2) slipped away Monday night at USF (5-3) as the Bulls used a 19-2 run to take down the Hatters 77-62 at the USF Recreation Center. The loss snapped Stetson's four-game winning streak; junior guard Shanasa Sanders (Jacksonville, Fla.) scored a career-high 24 points and knocked down four of five three-point attempts.
Stetson led 35-34 at halftime and seemed poised for its first win over USF in 14 years when a layup from sophomore forward Sasha Sims (Fayetteville, Ga.) made it 45-38 Hatters with 16:21 to go in the ballgame. However, Kaneisha Saunders scored six points in the ensuing 9-0 USF spurt that gave the home team the lead for good with 13:33 remaining.
The Hatters would close to within two with 10 and a half minutes to play but the Bulls would lower the boom with eight straight points to bump their lead to 57-47. Stetson never got closer than seven the rest of the way and was held without a field goal for the final 5:10 of the contest.
Sanders made eight of 15 field goal attempts, including four of five beyond the arc, and all four of her free throw attempts to finish with 24 points to lead all scorers. Sims notched her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three blocks while junior guard Victoria McGowan (Inkster, Mich.) had 11 points. Junior forward Janelle Mills (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) and freshman forward Cherisse Burris (Blue Springs, Mo.) pulled down six rebounds apiece.
Jasmine Wynne led USF to the win with a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double; Saunders added 19 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Bulls. Akila McDonald (14 points, five blocks) and Andrell Smith (10 points, five rebounds, four assists) also reached double figures for the hosts.
Stetson now turns its attention to Thursday's Atlantic Sun Conference opener against ETSU; tip-off against the Lady Bucs is set for 11:00 am at the Edmunds Center on Volusia County Schoolchildren Day. Live Stats and Hatter Vision are available at GoHatters.com.
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