DELAND, Fla. - After a split in Jacksonville over the weekend, the Hatters faced up against Florida Gulf Coast for the first time this season. Stetson defeated the Eagles, 75-72, for the "Our Kind of Stetson" White Out game Wednesday evening at the Edmunds Center. Stetson's 10th ASUN represents the largest total since the 2012-13 season, still with potential to tie the best win total ever [13].
 
The Hatters (15-11, 10-5 ASUN) came out victorious, snapping a two-game slide against the opposition, in a high-intensity matchup in one of the two back-to-back games against FGCU (16-12, 6-9 ASUN).  
 
"This one is very big, the whole school came out so we had a good atmosphere," senior Wheza Panzo said "Just for us to lock in after we lost our last game, and to come out and win it was good."
 
After a slow three-minute start, Stephan Swenson ignited the Hatter offense with two back-to-back baskets putting them in the lead, 4-2. Following some competitive play, the Eagles gained a three-point lead, but a thunderous slam dunk by Mahamadou Diawara and a jumper by Alec Oglesby put Stetson in the lead again, 12-11. FGCU regained its lead however, consecutive shots behind the arc by Oglesby and Wheza Panzo keep Stetson within two at the 7:21 mark. Unfortunately, Stetson remained scoreless for a long stretch in the latter part of the half. Jalen Blackmon knocked down a three with only five seconds left as FGCU settled for a six-point advantage entering halftime, 35-29.  
 
The Hatters came out of the locker room reenergized as combined points from Swenson, Blackmon, and Josh Smith got the team within one point of the Eagles. Panzo secured the lead when he knocked down a shot behind the three-point line forcing FGCU into a timeout at 39-37. Stetson stayed up, 56-50, through the middle of the frame with a block by Luke Brown and an 'and-one' by Swenson. The Hatters continued to dominate through the 3:18 mark, as a block from Smith followed by a layup from Blackmon got the crowd on their feet. Tensions were high as the Eagles got within three with only 1:26 to go, but the Hatters stayed resilient, making critical stops to come out on top with a final score of 75-72.
 
"Josh Smith," Panzo said when asked to identify who had a good game that may have gone unnoticed. "He started the first half not quite playing as well as he should be, but he owned, said it was his fault, then bounced back, locked in and gave us good minutes, so that was good for us."
 
Stephan Swenson led the Hatters in all aspects, scoring 23 points, with a team-high for both rebounds [6] and assists [4]. Jalen Blackmon [13] and Josh Smith [12] also scored double figures with Wheza Panzo falling only two short at eight points. Alec Oglesby registered a game-high two steals and grabbed seven points.
 
"Lock down on defense," junior Alec Olgesby said about tonight's focus coming "Offense is going to take care of itself for us, but when we lock down on defense, we're unstoppable. So, I think if we keep taking care of that, everything will work out good for us."
 
The Hatters head to Fort Myers to play the Eagles again with the tipoff at 6 p.m. Saturday, February 18th at the Alico Arena.  
 
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.