DELAND, Fla. – Stetson defeated Austin Peay, 53-48, for the first meeting between the two sides taking place on the Hatters home floor Thursday night in the Edmunds Center. It was the second time the pairs faced off.

"The focus tonight was the win," freshman Jaelyn Tally said "We really needed it especially with the tournament coming just around the corner. Honestly, stopping their drives and playing our basketball was really big for us.

Talley started the night strong after a layup to even out the score, quickly followed by Skylar Treadwell's layup to put the Hatters in the lead. At the 1:49 mark of the opening quarter, Jaelyn Talley received two free throws to keep the momentum, but the first quarter ended with the visitors up 12-9.

"Skyler Treadwell," Jordan Peete said about a player performance that stuck out to her "She helps us tremendously on the defensive and offensive end, she's tall, hard to guard and can guard pretty much anyone on the floor."

Kiya Turner started the second quarter with a layup and later followed by Peete's 3-point shot to cut down the lead to 16-14. The Hatters kept the pressure on AP after a 2-point Jump shot by Khamya McNeal during the 3:20 mark. The Governors concluded the half up 20-18 after Shamarre Hale made a layup to close out the first 20 minutes.

McNeal's layup during the third quarter tied up the score 23-23 as the two teams struggled through lockdown defense. The Third quarter concluded Jamiya Turner keeping her composure at the foul line, gaining points to keep the Hatters within the reach at 34-33.

Jamiya Turner's great 'and one' gave Stetson the advantage in the four quarter as the game intensified. Treadwell's driving layup continued to build the lead, 41-38, with 6:59 on the clock. With the score within one possession, 51-48, Kiya Turner made sure Stetson finished the night with a win with two clutch free throw makes.

"We know what they did, It was the scouting report we wanted to stop their drives" Peete said in reference to the defense Stetson displayed in the win. "It was their main source of scoring, so if we stop their drives, we would have a better chance of getting out and playing more offense."

Tally paced the Hatters by scoring 13 points in the night, followed by Jamiya Turner 11 points, two assists and Kiya Turner's 11 points, and game-high three steals. Jordan Peete scored eight points, and while stats could not quantify it showcased lockdown defense, along with the rest of the Hatters, holding an ASUN opponent to under 50 for the fifth time this season.

"Come out with energy start to finish, that's a key for us," Talley said about carrying the momentum forward "Bringing what we learned and moving on to the rest."

The Hatters now await Lipscomb for senior day on Saturday, facing the Bisons on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will also 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.