Daytona Beach, Fla. -- Junior Brianti Saunders scored 21 points with nine rebounds and four steals as Stetson defeated host Bethune-Cookman 62-38 Saturday afternoon at Moore Gym.
The Hatters (2-1) tightened the screws defensively, forcing 26 turnovers and holding the Wildcats (1-3) to 26 percent shooting overall.
Stetson, meanwhile, shot 45 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free throw line.
"I thought it was a good win for us," Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. "Bethune is a tough place to play. I liked how we played together. I thought we did a really good job of working the ball offensively."
Stetson led 11-5 at the first quarter break, but Bethune rallied to take an 18-17 lead late in the second quarter. The Hatters finished the half on an 7-0 run and never trailed the rest of the way.
Breana Bey scored 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting to help lead the offense. She also collected six rebounds and a steal.
"(Breana) is more confident," Bria said. "She knows our offense more, and she knows more about what she is supposed to do and not having to think as much. I thought she was huge for us. I thought she had a great game."
Stetson held Bethune-Cookman to just five points in the first quarter and six points in the fourth quarter. Defensively, the Hatters registered 16 steals and two blocks in the contest.
"I think Bethune is a good team," Bria said. "They have balanced scoring, so I was really worried about this game, especially after our last game, to see how we would respond to another environment that is a tough place to play.
"Overall, I thought we executed our game plan very well."
After missing the first two games of the season, Sarah Sagerer scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
"Having Sarah back really helps us," Bria said. "It makes a big difference in our team when we have everybody."
Stetson will host Armstrong State at 5:30 p.m. Monday night.
Notes: Ida Andersson had a putback lay-up to beat the third quarter buzzer ... Aisha Turner had five assists ... DeAsia Beal and Turner hit the only 3-pointers of the game for Stetson ... The Hatters scored 40 points in the paint ... Saunders was 7-for-7 from the free throw line ... McKenna Beach surpassed 2000 points for her high school and college career combined.
