GAME DAY INFORMATION
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DATE: Dec. 30, 2023
TIME: 2:00 PM |
LOCATION: Edmunds Center
DeLand, Fla. |
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GAME DAY LINK
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LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
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THE LEAD
Prior to the holiday break, the Hatters hosted North Carolina A&T and Valparaiso for the Holiday Hoops Classic, dropping the first before picking up a win against the Beacons, their fourth win of the season. Now with a 4-1 record at home, the Hatters return to host the Flagler Saints on Saturday, Dec. 30 to conclude their non-conference schedule. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at gohatters.com.
INSIDE THE SERIES
This weekend will mark the third time the two programs have faced off. While it will be a exhibition for the Saints, the Hatters will look to extend their win streak over the Saints to three straight games as they enter with a 2-0 record. The two last met on Nov. 7, 2022 when the Hatters defeated Flagler, 79-52. The series began back on Dec. 4, 2015 when Stetson took the inaugural game with a dominant 84-47 win.
SCOUTING THE HATTERS (4-9, 0-0 ASUN)
Stetson approaches the weekend with an overall record of 4-9 after winning their last game at home against Valparaiso last week. Stetson looks to maintain a strong home record, following a 78-62 win over the Beacons in which five Hatters tallied double-figure scoring.
Leading the Hatters on offense in their last game was
Khamya McNeal, who finished with a season-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting as she racked up 10+ points for the fifth time this season and the second time in as many games.
It was the freshman
Anna Kunzwiler, who led the team in the first slate of the Holiday Hoops Classic, concluding with 14 points, tying a career-high. Sinking four of her nine shots from beyond the arc, the guard buried two three-pointers in the final minute as Stetson's comeback effort fell just shy.
So far this season, the offensive output for Stetson has been fronted by
Jamiya Turner, who maintains a team-leading 142 points, 10.9 per game. Turner showcases a 43.8 percent shooting accuracy from the field (57 of 130) and a 73.7 percent from the free-throw line, seventh highest in the ASUN.
Jordan Peete, with 11 starts this season, averages 9.2 points per game, making a team-high 14 of 53 shots from beyond the arc.
McNeal and Kunzwiler have been a key piece in the rotation as they average 9.1 and 8.2 points, the former hitting two or more three-pointers in four of her last five games. After draining three shots from deep in the team's last outing, the redshirt junior has now made 13 on the season while Kunzwiler, who has appeared in six games this season, ties her.
Promise Keshi leads the team in steals, contributing 18 steals, 15th most in the conference. She has also recorded three blocks, tied for second-most on the team, trailing freshman forward
Sophia Fontaine's six blocks.
Jaelyn Talley has excelled on the glass, leading the Hatters with 91 total rebounds, 7.0 per game. Her 47 offensive rebounds rank second-most in the ASUN and she ranks third most in total boards.
Skylar Treadwell has pulled in 72 rebounds on the season after grabbing 21 against High Point earlier this season. Turner, who reeled in eight rebounds in the win, surpassed the 500 career rebounds mark.
As a team, Stetson averages 57.4 points per game, as opposed to a conference fourth fewest average points allowed (61.2), on 277-773 shooting from the field (35.8%) and 58-248 from three-point range. They exhibit a conference third-best free-throw percentage of 69.4 percent (134-193) and boast an ASUN fourth-most 484 total rebounds, 37.2 rebounds per game. Stetson has forced opponents into 222 turnovers and capitalized on them with 13.1 points off turnovers.
SCOUTING THE SAINTS (5-5, 0-0 PBC)
Flagler currently holds a record of 5-5, sitting seventh place in the Peach Belt Conference standings, most recently picking up a 76-46 win over Talladega in the Florida Tech Holiday Classic last Tuesday to put an end to a two game skid.
In the 2023-24 Preseason Coaches' Poll, the coaches selected Flagler eighth in the poll with 26 points after finishing the prior season with a 3-15 conference record.
Looking to build off of a 6-22 finish last season, the Saints average 64.8 points per game and have been outscored by their opponents by an average of 2.4 points.
As a team, they have a shooting percentage of 38.2 percent from the field (219 of 573) and 33.7% from beyond the arc (84 of 249). The Saints are rebounding at an average of 36.6 per game and distributing 13.7 assists.
On the defensive end, they allow opponents to shoot 36.6 percent from the field (218 of 595) and 26.1 percent from three-point range (46 of 176), both second in the PBC. The defense has also forced 176 turnovers, scoring 16.2 points off them, while tallying 80 steals and 22 blocks.
Junior guard Destiny McClendon leads the team with a conference fourth-best 16.1 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting. McClendon also leads the Saints with 62 free throws while hitting 15 three-pointers. She has tallied 13 assists and averages 3.1 rebounds per game.
Fellow junior guard Dane Bertolina, who has racked up three steals in the team's last game, leads the defense with 22 steals. She leads the team with 46 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game while tallying 10.5 points on average. She leads the conference in rebounding and passing.
Sophomore guard Jessica Dowdy has started in four of ten games and leads the team from beyond the arc with 25 made three-pointers while making 50 percent of her shots from deep.
NEXT UP
Stetson will hit the road for the first time since Dec. 9 as they head to Jacksonville, Fla on Thursday, Jan. 4. The Hatters will face-off with the University of North Florida Ospreys for the start of conference play. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM at the UNF Arena, while all the action will be streamed on ESPN+.
