Scoring Record in Sight For Brianti Saunders

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- Brianti Saunders has never let her height hold her back.

Instead, the 5-foot-4 Stetson University senior guard has used her speed, strength, smarts, and sharp shooting touch to rise above her opponents time and time again.

Now, Saunders stands just six points away from breaking the Hatters all-time scoring record, a mark held by her former teammate, Sasha Sims, who scored 1,617 points from 2010-14.

Saunders will go for the record Monday night when the Hatters visit Chattanooga at 6:30 p.m.

"She (has been) phenomenal since her freshman year," Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. "She is what I call a bulldog. She is relentless in her pursuit, she is relentless in practice, she is relentless (in everything). She has been that way ever since I have known her. She has really grown as a player, both offensively and defensively. I am excited for Bri, she has deserved it, and it is going to be an honor to watch her get it."

Saunders and Sims were Hatter teammates back in 2013-14 when Sims first broke the scoring record late that season.

"I want to first congratulate my former teammate and sister Bri on breaking the scoring record," Sims said. "I've told her for the past two years that records were made to be broken. Though my time was short lived, the journey is what is much more appreciated. Now all she has to do is become a champion and she'll be just as great."

While Sims played in 135 games in her career, Saunders will be making her 108th appearance Monday. Getting to the scoring record so quickly has taken a remarkable display of consistency. In her first 107 games, Saunders has scored in double figures 84 times, including in all nine games this season. She has topped 20 points 24 times, 30 points five times, and she hit the 40-point mark once last season, another school-record total.

For her career, she averages 15.1 points-per-game.

However, Saunders' focus Monday won't be on the record but rather on trying to help the Hatters win a big game against a tough opponent.

Chattanooga (4-6) is the four-time defending SoCon Champion. The Mocs are coming off a 80-60 victory over UT Martin on Saturday.

The Hatters (8-1), likewise, are coming off a commanding 81-47 win at High Point Saturday, the team's fourth win in a row. Stetson shot a season-high 56 percent from the floor as five players scored in double figures.

The two teams will be meeting for the first time since 1994.

Monday's game will be streamed online on a subscription basis by the SoCon Digital Network. The Hatters' radio broadcast will be streamed live for free on the Stetson Athletics Facebook page.

Live stats, the Stetson women's basketball twitter feed (@StetsonWBB), and the new HatCheck text messaging system will provide in-game updates as well.

1 of 8
As of Sunday, Stetson is one of eight teams in the NCAA with eight wins. The other teams are Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi State, Colorado, Clemson, Baylor and Duke.

Block Leaders
Monday's game features two of top four blocked shots leaders in the NCAA, As of Sunday, Chattanooga's Jasmine Joyner leads the country with 32 blocks, while Stetson's Sarah Sagerer is tied for fourth with 29 blocks.

Road Success
Over the past three seasons, Stetson is 12-2 in non-conference road/neutral games against non-BCS opponents, including 4-0 this season.

Third Quarter Success
Stetson is outscoring its opponents 175-120 ( 55) in third quarters this year. The Hatters have "won" eight of the nine third quarters, with the only "loss" coming to Bethune-Cookman 21-19.

Shooting Accuracy
The Hatters boast the top two players in the conference in field goal shooting. Myka Johnson-Matthews leads all players with a .563 percentage, and Breana Bey ranks second with a .562 percentage. As a team, the Hatters lead the ASUN with a .437 percentage.

Up Next
After completing a six-game road swing, Stetson will begin a four-game homestand Thursday against Warner University. Five of the next six games will be at home. Stetson does not leave the state of Florida again until mid-January.

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