Kennesaw, Ga. -- For the fifth year in a row, the Hatters are a 20-game winner.
Amber Porter led four players in double figures with 19 points as visiting Stetson defeated Kennesaw State 70-58 Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
The Hatters (20-6, 9-3 A-Sun) also clinched the No. 2 seed for next month's Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and home court advantage through at least the semifinal round.
“It's great; any time a team wins 20 games, they are a good team,” Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. “I would say that about any team. You always want the No. 1 seed, but we just have to finish (the regular season) with some momentum.”
Stetson had to rally from a 23-10 first-half deficit and a three-point halftime deficit to earn the victory on Saturday.
“I didn't think we came out with much energy in the first half,” Bria said. “We had good open looks; we just didn't make them. I felt like it affected our defense. We talk about that a lot, that no matter what, you always have to guard.”
The Hatters benefitted from a 13-0 run early in the second half to take the lead for good. Aisha Turner buried a 3-pointer and Sarah Sagerer followed with a lay-in to put Stetson ahead 46-37 at the 12:18 mark. The Owls (16-11, 5-7) would pull no closer than five the rest of the way.
“We did start to gain some momentum back before the half,” Bria said. “I felt like in the second half we got stops, and we transitioned them into points.”
Myeisha Hall and Jama Sharp each scored 14 points, while Brianti Saunders chipped in 12 points. Porter added eight rebounds, three blocks, and two assists to her team-high points total.
“I thought Amber had a good game,” Bria said. “I thought she carried us in the first half. She also had a tough defensive assignment in guarding (Jasmine McAllister). I felt like she did a good job on both ends of the floor overall.”
Stetson has just two games remaining in the regular season, beginning with Jacksonville on the road at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Hatters' final regular season home game will be next Saturday against UNF.
Notes: Sophomores Brianti Saunders (811) and Amber Porter (807) each scored their 800th career point on Saturday ... Stetson's 20-6 mark ties for the second-best 26-game mark in school history. Only the 2013-14 team got to 20 wins quicker (20-5) ... Amber Porter moved into the top top in Atlantic Sun history in career blocks (185).
