Men's Basketball January 24, 2020 Athletic Communications

Hatters Host ASUN Co-Leader Liberty on Saturday

Still riding high after a 16-point comeback on Thursday, Stetson welcomes ASUN Conference co-leader Liberty to Edmunds Center for a 4 p.m., Saturday contest. The game can be seen live on ESPN+.

The Hatters (10-11 overall, 4-2 ASUN) find themselves in the thick of the conference race after an improbable comeback on Thursday night against NJIT put Stetson alone in third place. Trailing 43-27 with 18:18 to play, and 58-47 with 5:53 left, the Hatters stormed back behind Mahamadou Diawara and a game-altering full court press to get a 65-64 win.

Diawara led all scorers with 19 points, including in what proved to be game-clinching free throws with 23 seconds to go. But a 39-second sequence just prior to the under-4 minute media timeout changed the game. The Hatters forced three straight turnovers and Jahlil Rawley and Rob Perry combined to convert those turnovers into seven points for a 59-58 Stetson lead with 3:22 to play.

Stetson eventually took the lead for good and secured its third straight win.

While the Hatters were celebrating, the Flames (19-2, 5-1) were in the midst of suffering their first conference loss of the season. North Florida handed the Flames a 71-70 defeat on Thursday, forcing a tie with the Ospreys atop the conference standings.

One of the top defensive teams in the country, Liberty leads the ASUN in field-goal percentage (.477), opponent field-goal percentage (.369), and opponent points per game (52.4).

About the Game
•Stetson looks to stretch its winning streak to four games when the Hatters host ASUN Conference co-leader Liberty on Saturday
•The Flames are tied atop the ASUN standings at 5-1 with North Florida. Stetson is one game behind in third place at 4-2.
•If the Hatters win on Saturday it will be their longest winning streak since winning five straight in January of 2013
•Stetson's 4-2 start is its best 6-game ASUN mark since the 2012-13 squad also opened league play with a 4-2 record

Under the Hat
•How improbable was Stetson's 65-64 win on Thursday night? With 5:53 to play, the Highlanders had a 94.5-percent win probability according to ESPN Gamecast. The Hatters came into the game 0-10 when trailing with 5 minutes to play, and 0-9 when trailing with 2 minutes left.
• The Hatters led for a total of 49 seconds on Thursday
•A span of 39 seconds changed the game for the Hatters against NJIT. Down 58-52 with 4:01 to play, Jahlil Rawley sparked a rapid-fire burst by the Hatters with the first of back-to-back steals and breakaway baskets. After the second Rawley basket, Rob Perry collected a steal and drilled a fast-break 3-pointer to give the Hatters a 59-58 lead with 3:22 to go. That sequence changed the game, though the Hatters had to wait another 2:39 to take the lead for good.
•Rob Perry (15.5) and Mahamadou Diawara (13.1) continue to be the highest-scoring freshman tandem in the ASUN Conference at a combined 28.6 points per game. Perry is 11th nationally among all freshmen, and his 34 points at Western Illinois on Nov. 9 is the 2nd-best single-game effort by a freshman this season.
•The Hatters made some history on Dec. 17 when five freshmen (Diawara, Ivery, Kabimba, Panzo, Perry) were in the starting lineup at UNC Asheville, for what's believed to be the first time in program history. The Hatters regularly started four freshmen during the 2010-11 season but research has not yet turned up another all-freshman starting five.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Jahlil Rawley: G; 6' 4"; Senior

#15 Mahamadou Diawara: F/C; 6' 10"; Freshman

#2 Rob Perry: G; 6' 3"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#4 Jahlil Rawley
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G

#15 Mahamadou Diawara
: 6' 10"; Freshman
: F/C

#2 Rob Perry
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: G

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Hatters Host ASUN Co-Leader Liberty on Saturday

Players Mentioned

#4 Jahlil Rawley

#15 Mahamadou Diawara

#2 Rob Perry

Players Mentioned

#4 Jahlil Rawley

#15 Mahamadou Diawara

#2 Rob Perry