Fort Myers, Fla. – FGCU's 16-0 run to open the second half proved to be the difference in a 61-48 victory over visiting Stetson in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener Saturday night at Alico Arena.

The Hatters (9-6, 0-1 A-Sun) owned the better of the play for much of the first half, holding the Eagles (13-4, 1-0) to just eight field goals and 35 percent shooting.  DeAsia Beal scored 10 points in the opening 20 minutes as the teams went into the break tied at 24.

FGCU hit back-to-back 3s to start the second half and held Stetson scoreless over a six-minute stretch.

“I thought one of the keys to this game was the tempo,” Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said.  “We did not want to get into a track meet with them.  In the second half, they increased the tempo and hit the two or three 3s that kind of opened it up a little bit.  I thought the start of the second half was what really hurt us.  The first half was more of the tempo we wanted.”

Brianti Saunders led the Hatters with 15 points while Beal scored 13 and Sarah Sagerer added eight.  Both Saunders and Beal each hit three times from behind the arc as Stetson connected on 33 percent of its 3-point attempts (8-24).

FGCU shot just 7-of-32 from behind the arc for 22 percent.

It was the third year in the row the Hatters began A-Sun play at FGCU, but Bria said she was glad the game came early on the schedule this year.

“I like to see right now where we are,” Bria said.  “They are the best team in our conference. We learned a lot from it, we got a lot from it, and you have to play a 40-minute game against them.  If you don't, they are going to make you pay.”

Stetson will host NJIT next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Notes: Brianti Saunders has scored in double figures in all 15 games this year (16 straight overall) … DeAsia Beal has scored in double figures six times this season … Stetson is now 9-1 when holding opponents under 70 points … Cape Coral native McKenna Beach had a strong following of supporters at the game.