DeLand, Fla. -- Four Hatters scored in double figures as Stetson defeated Texas State 75-57 Saturday afternoon to capture the 27th annual Hatter Classic title at the Edmunds Center.
Stetson remained undefeated at home on the season (5-0) and improved to 9-3 overall. It is the fifth consecutive year the Hatters have won their annual tournament.
Amber Porter took home MVP honors after recording 38 points in the two games combined. She tallied 13 points on Saturday, as did C.J. Coddington and Brianti Saunders. Jama Sharp joined Porter on the all-tournament team after collecting 11 points and five assists on Saturday.
"I thought it was a very physical game overall," Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. "I think (the Bobcats) are good, they are big, and they play strong. That kind of presented some problems for us for about 30 minutes of the game. About the middle of the second half we started to figure it out. I am proud of our kids for keeping their composure."
The Hatters led by five at halftime and used a 6-0 run midway through the second half to push the lead to double digits. Aisha Turner and Saunders posted back-to-back fastbreak lay-ups to put Stetson ahead 50-40 with 12:41 to go. Coddington drained a 3-pointer minutes later to give Stetson a 15-point lead.
"We finally got some stops and we turned them over a couple of times and we got some easy baskets," Bria said. "I think that gave us a lot of confidence and a lot of energy."
Texas State (5-4) was able to keep the game close for the first 30 minutes by crashing the offensive boards. The Bobcats grabbed 26 offensive rebounds in the contest and converted 15 second chance points.
The Hatters dominated the paint, scoring 52 inside points compared to just 16 for Texas State. Sarah Sagerer tallied eight points, five rebounds, and three blocks and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor.
"I thought Amber did a great job, and I thought Sarah had a great game," Bria said. "They have two bigs that are real physical, so I was concerned whether we would be able to score in the paint."
Sharp's 11 points advanced her career total to 995, just five shy of the 1000-point milestone.
In the Hatter Classic consolation, Campbell defeated Bethune-Cookman 66-55.
The Hatters will enjoy a 11-day break before returning the court on Dec. 31 to host UNC Wilmington. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Edmunds Center.
Notes: Stetson outscored Texas State 22-2 in fastbreak points ... Brianti Saunders scored her 600th career point ... The Hatters have won 10 consecutive Hatter Classic games ... Stetson improved to 49-3 in iast 52 home games ... The Hatters extended their non-conference home court win streak to 23 ... Stetson improved to 8-0 when scoring 65 points or more.
All-Classic Team:
Kailyn Williams (B-CU)
RaeChaun Edwards (Campbell)
Meghan Braeuer (Texas State)
Jama Sharp (Stetson)
Amber Porter - MVP (Stetson)
