Hatters head to Florence for first West Division action

Florence, Ala. -- The Stetson University men's basketball team gets set for its first ASUN West Division action Saturday afternoon as the Hatters travel to University of North Alabama for a bout against the Lions. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. EST and will be streamed on ESPN+.

Recap
Stetson dropped its third straight contest Tuesday night as the Hatters fell 93-91 at the Edmunds Center in an overtime thriller against Florida Gulf Coast. After the Eagles sank a half-court shot to beat the buzzer at the end of the first half, Stetson found itself down 47-32. The Hatters immediately sparked a comeback in the second half as they outscored the Eagles 50-35 and eventually took the lead, but FGCU forced OT and ultimately got the best of the Hatters.

Alvin Tumblin led all Hatters scorers on the night as the freshman scored a career-high 22 points and brought down nine boards. Four other Hatters finished in double figures as Josh Smith and Stephan Swenson recorded 18 and 16, respectively. Chase Johnston extended his double-digit scoring streak to 10 games in a row as the sophomore put up 14 points while Christiaan Jones recorded 14 points and 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the year and his second in as many games.

Scouting the Lions
North Alabama enters Saturday's game having lost two in a row as the Lions fell in overtime 89-88 to Central Arkansas back on Jan. 15 and then dropped a 68-60 contest to Bellarmine back on Tuesday. UNA sports an 8-10 overall record and is 1-4 in ASUN Conference action. The Lions fair better on their home court compared to playing on the road as UNA is 6-1 at Flowers Hall but 2-7 away from Florence.

The Lions boast a balanced offense as four UNA players average 8.5 points or more on the season. Daniel Ortiz leads UNA as the six-foot guard averages 11.4 points per game. Jamari Blackmon follows Ortiz, averaging 10.1 points while C.J. Brim and Payton Youngblood each average 9.8 and 8.5, respectively. As a team, the Lions shoot 40.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 72.83 points per game, good for eighth in the league.

All-Time Series
Stetson and North Alabama have squared off seven times dating back to Jan. 19, 2019. The Hatters hold a 5-2 record over the Lions, but it was UNA that got the best of the Stetson last time out as they topped the Hatters 73-66 in overtime on Jan. 9, 2021. Stetson looks to get back in the win column against the Lions on Saturday afternoon.

Scouting the Hatters
Stetson enters Saturday's contest in the midst of a three-game losing streak as the Hatters have fallen to JU (Jan. 11), Kennesaw State (Jan. 15), and most recently FGCU (Jan. 18). It is Stetson's second worst stretch this season as the Hatters will try to avoid a second four-game skid on Saturday.

Ending the Hatters losing streak begins with putting together two complete halves and this starts with Johnston and Jones setting the tone early for Stetson. Both starters look to remain consistent in their scoring and defensive efforts as Johnston averages 13.1 points per game with 1.4 steals while Jones averages 12.1 points and 1.5 steals. Receiving production from the bench will be a key factory on Saturday as the Hatters bench only recorded seven points on Tuesday against FGCU. As a team, Stetson shoots 43.5 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Looking Ahead
After Stetson's trip to Florence, the team returns home to the Edmunds Center for two straight as the Hatters host Bellarmine University on Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. and then welcomes Eastern Kentucky to town on Saturday, Jan. 29 for a 4:30 p.m. tip-off. Both contests will be streamed on ESPN+.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.

Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#0 Christiaan Jones: G; 6' 5"; Graduate Student

#12 Josh Smith: F; 6' 8"; Sophomore

#30 Stephan Swenson: G; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#35 Alvin Tumblin: F/C; 6' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#0 Christiaan Jones
: 6' 5"; Graduate Student
: G

#12 Josh Smith
: 6' 8"; Sophomore
: F

#30 Stephan Swenson
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: G

#35 Alvin Tumblin
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F/C

Stetson University Athletics

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Hatters head to Florence for first West Division action

Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston

#0 Christiaan Jones

#12 Josh Smith

#30 Stephan Swenson

#35 Alvin Tumblin

Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston

#0 Christiaan Jones

#12 Josh Smith

#30 Stephan Swenson

#35 Alvin Tumblin