GAME DAY INFORMATION
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DATE: Feb. 15, 2024
TIME: 7:00 PM |
LOCATION: Curry Arena
Charlotte, N.C. |
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GAME DAY LINK
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LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
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THE LEAD
The Hatters look to extend their win streak to three straight games after picking up wins over North Alabama and Central Arkansas last week at home. They now hit the road for a three game trip that begins with the Queens University of Charlotte Royals on Thursday, Feb. 15. The Hatters are 5-0 on the road when playing conference teams this season with their last win coming against EKU to conclude the January slate as
Khamya McNeal hit the go-ahead shot with four seconds remaining. Tip-off for the game against Queens is set for 7:00 PM at Curry Arena in Charlotte and all the action will be streamed to ESPN+.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The two programs have only met twice before with the series being an even 1-1 split. They last met at the Edmunds Center on Jan. 20 of this season when the Hatters survived the Royals 73-71 in overtime. The Royals won the inaugural meeting on Jan. 21, 2023, when they defeated the Hatters 77-75 in Charlotte.
SCOUTING THE HATTERS (13-12, 8-3 ASUN)
Stetson approaches the midweek matchup with an overall record of 13-12, their first time this season with record above .500. They have won ten of their last 13 games and now hold an 8-3 record in the ASUN after their 57-56 win over Central Arkansas.
Leading the Hatters on offense this past week was
Quentarra Mitchell, who was named ASUN Newcomer of the Week. The graduate forward came off the bench and averaged 15 points, nine rebounds, 1.5 steals and a block in a 2-0 week for Stetson. She tallied a season-high 18 points while grabbing nine rebounds, also a season-high, in the win over North Alabama. She then followed it up with 12 points and another nine rebounds in the one-point victory over Central Arkansas at home.
In the win over Central Arkansas, Mcneal and
Jaelyn Talley each provided ten points but it was
Skylar Treadwell, who hit a pair of clutch three-pointers in the fourth, that helped the Hatters secure their 13th victory of the season.
Stetson's lead shot blocker this season,
Anna Kunzwiler, blocked another shot in the win, making it six blocks now in her last three games. Her three blocked shots against North Alabama was the most blocks in a game since Tatiana Streun blocked three shots against Bellarmine on Jan. 27, 2022.
So far this season, the offensive output for Stetson has been fronted by Turner, who maintains a team-leading 266 points, 10.6 per game. Turner showcases a 43.2 percent shooting accuracy from the field (101 of 234) and a 67 percent clip from the free-throw line. The redshirt-senior has reached milestones such as 500 career rebounds and 1,000 career points. She averages 5.4 rebounds per game and leads the team with 56 assists.
As a team, Stetson averages 58.6 points per game, as opposed to a conference third fewest average points allowed (60), on 532-1420 shooting from the field (37.5%) and 98-424 from three-point range. They boast an ASUN third-most 929 total rebounds, 37.2 rebounds per game. Stetson has forced opponents into 414 turnovers and capitalized on them with 12.4 points off turnovers.
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (6-18, 0-11 ASUN)
Queens currently holds a record of 6-18, sitting 12th place in the ASUN Conference standings after dropping their last 11 games, all within conference. Their season included tough opponents such as #12 Ole Miss and #1 LSU and includes wins over Winthrop and Gardner-Webb, the latter being their last win on Dec. 30.
In the 2023-24 Preseason Coaches' Poll, the coaches selected Queens to finish in 12th with 23 points after finishing the prior season with a 3-15 conference record. Looking to build off of an 8-21 campaign last season, the Royals average 62.5 points per game and have been outscored by their opponents by an average of 6.8 points.
As a team, they have a shooting percentage of 37.3 percent from the field (563-1510) and 27.5 percent from beyond the arc (106-385). The Royals are rebounding at an average of 37.1 per game with a -3.3 margin and are distributing 9.0 assists per game.
On the defensive end, they've allowed opponents to shoot 41.2 percent from the field (545-1322) and 30.2 percent from three-point range (144-477), 8th and 7th in the ASUN. The defense has also forced 456 turnovers, scoring 16.7 points off them, while tallying 223 steals and 54 blocks.
NEXT UP
Stetson will stay on the road as they head to Georgia to take on the Kennesaw State Owls on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM at the KSU Convocation Center and all the action will be streamed to ESPN+.
