DELAND, Fla. – Stetson women's basketball defended home court to remain undefeated at home in ASUN play, defeating Central Arkansas, 57-47, Thursday night at the Edmunds Center.

Stetson got off to a slow start falling behind the Bears, 4-1, before going back-and-forth with the visitors. At the 4:11 mark Anabel Ellison nailed a jumper to put SU up 11-10; the Hatters never looked back after picking up the advantage. UCA kept it close after one quarter, with Stetson posting a three-point advantage, 16-13.

The Hatters pushed the advantage to five, 20-15, two minutes six seconds into the second quarter off a pair of made free throws by Khamya McNeal. McNeal would extend the margin to nine with 127 seconds left in the half [34-25].

The Bears closed the margin to two, 35-33 Hatters, after starting the second half on a 6-0 run. Struggling with outside shooting, Stetson started attacking the paint, drawing fouls in the process. McNeal made two from the line, followed by a pair from Jamiya Turner. Jaelyn Talley made a layup and McNeal notched two more free throws to make it an 8-0 run from the home team to establish a double-digit advantage, 43-33. Stetson took a seven-point advantage into the fourth quarter, 44-37.

SU kept the opposition at arm's length, stretching the advantage to 15, 57-42 at the 2:28 mark. While the Sugar Bears closed the gap, Stetson cruised to a 10-point win, 57-47.
Turner paced the Hatters with 14, with McNeal [12] and Talley [11] also hitting double figures. McNeal, Talley and Skylar Treadwell each collected a team-high seven rebounds. Six Hats notched at least one assist as apart of 12 on 19 made field goals.

The Hatters remain at home as North Alabama makes its way to the Edmunds Center Saturday with tipoff at 1 p.m.

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 (PDF). 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.