DELAND, Fla. - After a sweep of the FGCU Eagles this past weekend, Hatter Men's Basketball continued its win streak, defeating the Austin Peay Governors 76-51, Wednesday evening in the Edmunds Center. The win locked up a home-court quarterfinal ASUN tournament game.
Stetson (17-11, 12-5 ASUN) has secured sole possession of the second best ASUN record in school history. Following the loss, Austin Peay (9-21, 3-14 ASUN) will have its full squad back to face FGCU to close out the season.
"I knew Steph [Swenson] was out and it was huge, he is a guy that helps move the ball and play together, so I knew I had to bring an edge,"
Sam Peek said "Be able to move the ball and get guys going, and to bring as much energy as I could. Coach told me before I got in the game that I have to get going, so that's what I did."
Josh Smith started the scoring with a driving layup, putting the Hatters within one of the Governors, 3-2.
Luke Brown took charge, putting up two back-to-back baskets, tying the game 7-7 at the 15:37 mark. After competitive back-and-forth play, the Hatters tied it up twice with points from
Wheza Panzo and
Aubin Gateretse. Stetson capitalized off of Blackmon's two made free throws and went an 11-2 run with big plays from Smith and Peek, putting the Hatters up 25-16. Panzo stretched the lead, giving the Hatters a 16-point lead, 32-16, with only a quarter left in the frame. A thunderous dunk by Peak and a hook shot from Gateretse kept Stetson in the lead going into halftime, 36-20. The catalyst for the 22-6 run to close out the half seemed to stem from the surge of energy brought on by Peek's entry to the contest.
The Hatters started slowly in the second half, letting the Governors close the gap with an 8-0 run. Brown started the offensive momentum for the Hatters, putting points on the board with a shot behind the arc extending the lead, 39-28. The Hatters continued to dominate as a three-pointer and layup by Panzo put Stetson up 49-36 at the 12:46 mark. Consecutive shots behind the three-point line from Smith and Peak got the crowd on their feet and extended the lead to 25, 66-41.
Alec Oglesby scored back-to-back three-pointers and assisted Gateretse's slam dunk to close out the match, 76-51.
Luke Brown led the hatters with 15 points and tied for a team-high four assists.
Josh Smith and
Sam Peek scored 14 and 13 points respectively and tied for a team-high eight rebounds.
Wheza Panzo also scored double digits with 11 and five rebounds.
Alec Oglesby fell only two short of double digits with eight points.
"We just have to get Steph back, continue to stay healthy," Peek said about carrying the momentum forward. "Continue to share the ball and play hard, so it comes down to what we do and what we bring."
Stetson will honor three on senior night prior to the game as the team plays its final regular-season contest tomorrow night at 7 p.m. from the Edmunds Center. The game will also be live 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.
