DELAND, Fla. – In a women's-then-men's basketball doubleheader Stetson defeated North Florida in both match ups, first in the women's game, 70-47, then in the finale 68-62, Monday night in the Edmunds Center. The women's team snapped a streak of two losses in conference openers and the men's team are 2-0 in ASUN play for the first time since the 1998-99 season.

"It was a good start in conference for us," head coach Lynn Bria said "North Florida throws a lot of different things at you, and they have a big that is really effective. I thought we did good defensively and it's good to shoot the ball well. It helps that our bench is getting deeper, and I thought we did not handle the press early, but we got used to it and started to attack it. We started the third quarter really well and showed some good growth, we still have a ways to go but Promise [Keshi] helped us out and looked really good."

Both teams started cold with it taking six minutes two seconds for UNF to build a two-possession lead (7-2), but the Hatters answered with a three on the following possession from Khamya McNeal and tying the game at seven when Talley converted Sydney Gouard's pass to points. The Ospreys extended the advantage back to four, 11-7, but a pair of free throws from Jordan Peete and Anabel Ellison's layup, which was the final basket of the first quarter, tied the contest at 11. The Hatters pushed forward on offense, pushing in front by six after Ellison nailed a three, 19-13, and held off the Ospreys taking a seven-point advantage to the half, 27-20.

Sensing the moment, Stetson pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring North Florida 25-7 putting the game effectively out of reach (52-27). While the Ospreys 20-point fourth quarter was by far the best they did in the game, it was no match for Stetson, as the Hats notched a 23-point win, 70-47.

It was the first win by 23 in league play since a 75-43 win over North Alabama last January. The win was the third largest over UNF and the fourth straight against the Ospreys.

Nine Hatters scored, including Promise Keshi who made her Stetson debut with three points in five minutes. Ellison paced the Hatters for the first time this season with 14, followed by 13 from Peete. Ellison made four of the Hatter threes and had a team-high four assists. Gouard was two points from a double-double after collecting a game-high 10 rebounds. Peete recorded a team-high four steals.  As a team, Stetson recorded 13 assists on 24 made baskets.

The men's team lead wire-to-wire but the Ospreys never allowed Stetson to gain an advantage in double figures. The Hats jumped into a quick six-point advantage as Josh Smith's rebound outlet passed to Stephan Swenson finished by Blackmon on the other end, 8-2 Hatters. In the next two possessions UNF cut the deficit to two, 8-6. The entire game played along a similar trajectory with Stetson pushing an advantage and The Ospreys battling back. Key points in the game persisted as North Florida cut the margin to a single point, 13-12 with 11:09 left in the first, got the defensive stop with a miss jumper by Stetson, but turned the ball over before attempting a go-ahead shot. Panzo knocked down a three the following trip down the floor, followed by Mahamadou Diawara clearing out the defensive rebound, then converting a jumper on the offensive end. Stetson took a two-point advantage, 27-25, into the break at halftime.

While Stetson tried to keep the Ospreys at bay, but the away side cut the advantage to one, 41-40 at the 10:47 mark. SU turned to veteran leadership and Swenson started guiding the Hats. On the ensuing possession, Swenson connected with Peek, on a jumper to put the Hats back up three. The crafty guard then stole the ball and hit Luke Brown who buried a fastbreak three, Hatters up six, 46-40. The Ospreys answered with a three and Swenson returned down the floor and knocked down a three of his own, 49-43. The visitors got the score down to two just one last time in the final 10:31 as the Hatters pulled away late for the 68-62 gutsy win.

Stetson has defeated the Ospreys in three of the last four meetings. Josh Smith has been in incredible form with a team high in scoring and rebounding in three of the last five games. Smith set a career high in rebounds against Lipscomb and is averaging 12.5 rebounds per game in ASUN play. The junior forward notched his third double-double in four games, scoring 22 points with 12 rebounds. Freshly minted ASUN Newcomer of the week, Jalen Blackmon knocked down 17 points.

Both Hatter squads play again Thursday, with the women's team making the journey North to Richmond, Kentucky, facing Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. The men stay in DeLand as Jacksonville University comes to the Edmunds Center with that game also tipping at 7 p.m. Both games 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 (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.