Bey, Sagerer Providing Punch in the Post

Hatters Look to Extend Win Streak Saturday vs. UNF

There are many differences in the style of play between Stetson's post players Sarah Sagerer and Breana Bey. Standing 6-foot-3, Sagerer has developed into one of the top shot blockers and rebounders in the NCAA. At 5-9, Bey uses her strength and quickness to rebound and score at will in the paint.

Together, they are providing a dangerous 1-2 punch down low that has helped propel the Hatters to a 4-1 start in conference play.

"I think they play well together," Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. "It helps that they are good friends and like each other. But when I put them on different teams in practice, they go at each other. It's fun to watch. I think they compliment each other well. They are different kinds of bigs, but they both play hard, they both rebound, and I always feel better when they are both in the game."

Sagerer, a junior, has been a force on both ends of the floor. She is nearly averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Defensively, her 66 blocked shots lead the ASUN Conference and rank sixth in the nation. She is also the conference leader in rebounds with 181, 134 of which have come on the defensive end.

Bey, meanwhile, has been on a scoring tear of late. The Hatter senior is shooting over 70 percent from the floor over the past 10 games, and she is averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 boards and per game in the team's five ASUN contests. Her .606 field goal percentage for the season leads the league and ranks 13th in the nation.

Both players have seen a jump in their production over last season. Sagerer attributes much of her success to having a completely healthy offseason to work on her game, and Bey says she feeds off her teammates constantly pushing her to get better. However, both players agree that the addition of assistant coach Otavio Battaglia this season has really helped take their games to a higher level.

"Coach O has especially made an impact for both Sarah and me," Bey said. "He was a post player when he played overseas. He showed us different moves that we can use during a game. He has helped me with my game a lot."

"Coach O knows a lot about the game, and he tries to teach us everything that he knows," Sagerer said. "He makes us much better, and keeps pushing us get better. He is a great coach."

While Bey and Sagerer often make a difference just by themselves, when the two are on the court together, they make it extremely difficult for opponents to defend. In fact, in the five conference games combined, Stetson has owned a staggering 206-92 advantage in points in the paint.

"I am happy with where we are, but we can't forget that we have to get better every day," Sagerer said. "Even though we are doing good right now, we still have to keep pushing each other."

With a 15-5 record at the 20-game mark, the Hatters have tied their third-best start in school history.

"I like where we are right now, but I think we can't let up," Bey said. "We have to keep the foot on the gas pedal and keep it going."

Sagerer, Bey and the Hatters (15-5, 4-1 ASUN) will look for their fifth win a row Saturday afternoon when they host UNF at the Edmunds Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN3 and WSBB radio.

The Hatters lead the all-time series 14-8 over the Ospreys (8-12, 1-4), having won the last six head-to-head meetings in the series.

Tickets start at $7.00 for general admission and can be purchased online (GoHatters.com/tix) or the Hatter Ticket Office. Stetson students, faculty and staff are free with a valid I.D.

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

Home Cooking
Stetson is 9-2 at home this season and outscoring their opponents by an average of 19.3 ppg (78.1 to 58.8). Over the past 90 home games, the Hatters are 79-11 (.877). That dates back to the 2010-11 season.

Free Throw Shooting
Stetson has dropped to third in the NCAA in team free throw shooting with a .807 mark. Individually, Brianti Saunders ranks second in the country with a .929 mark. Gwen Adams of SIUE is the current front runner with a .935 free throw percentage.

Milestones Approaching
Brianti Saunders needs eight points for 1800, 20 points to crack the ASUN all-time top-10, and 34 points to become Stetson basketball's all-time leading scorer (men or women) … DeAsia Beal will play in her 100th career game Saturday ... Sarah Sagerer needs four blocks to tie Sasha Sims for second all-time in school history.

Up Next
Stetson visits Jacksonville on Thursday night.

Print Friendly Version