DeLand, Fla. -- Stetson completed a critical Atlantic Sun Conference weekend sweep with a well-played 73-56 victory over Northern Kentucky Saturday afternoon at the Edmunds Center.
Four different players scored 14 points or better as the Hatters (18-6, 7-3 A-Sun) won their 18th game of the year and extended their lead on second place in the league standings to two games.
Northern Kentucky fell to 14-11, 5-5.
"I was just really proud of our players," Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. "I thought they did an outstanding job on both ends of the floor. Northern Kentucky is a good team. They pack in the paint pretty good, but we found other ways to score. I am very pleased with our effort."
Playing without Amber Porter for the second straight game, the Hatters shot 45 percent from the field and went 11-for-22 from behind the arc. Myeisha Hall hit four 3-pointers and tied for the team lead with 16 points. Freshman Sarah Sagerer also scored 16 points while adding six rebounds and three blocks. Brianti Saunders and Jama Sharp contributed 14 points and seven rebounds apiece.
"To bounce back from the Florida Gulf Coast game and then to also have some adversity with one of our best players out, it has helped us grow," Bria said about the weekend sweep. "This team has showed some toughness and they have pulled together. I think that's really good for us, especially in February."
The Hatters led by just three at halftime, but 3-pointers by Aisha Turner, Hall, Sharp, and Sagerer early in the second half helped increase the lead to 12. NKU never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
"I felt defensively we did a great job and got back to playing the type of defense we have throughout the year," Bria said. "The last two games I have been been pleased with our defensive effort and how we are playing together and staying together."
Offensively, the Hatters hit a combined 21 3-pointers over the past two games and shot better than 50% from beyond the arc.
"We executed well offensively, and we played great defense," Turner said about Saturday's game. "Coach Bria gave us the game plan and we stuck with it. It was a really important win because we are fighting for the No. 2 seed."
Stetson earned a split in the season series with the Norse, and avoided falling behind NKU in the standings. With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Hatters took a major step toward locking up home court advantage through the first two rounds of the conference tournament.
Stetson will begin a three-game road trip at 7 p.m. Thursday night at USC Upstate.
