MIAMI, FL - The Stetson women's basketball team fell short in a 60-47 loss to the Florida International Panthers on Thursday at the Ocean Beach Convocation Center in Miami. It was their sixth appearance in the WNIT and second time facing FIU, last falling to the Panthers back in 2012.
Jamiya Turner led the Hatters in scoring with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Quentarra Mitchell tacked on eight points and two steals from the bench while Promise Keshi provided six rebounds and three steals off of the bench.
Led by Skylar Treadwell's three offensive rebounds, Stetson did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 11 boards that resulted in 11 second chance points.
The Stetson defense was still stout despite the loss in Thursday's game, forcing 23 Florida International turnovers while committing 21. Those takeaways turned into 14 points on the other end of the floor. Keshi's three steals led the way individually for the Hatters.
After falling behind 9-4, Stetson went on a 6-0 run with 6:45 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Mitchell, to take a 10-9 lead. The Hatters then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 13-12.
The Hatters continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 24-18 halftime deficit.
Stetson's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Hatters faced a 42-26 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Stetson played well near the basket, scoring all eight of their third quarter points in the paint.
Florida International kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 56-38 advantage before Stetson went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Turner's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 56-44 with 1:42 to go in the contest. Florida International responded and outscored the Hatters the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 60-47. Stetson took advantage of nine Florida International turnovers in the quarter, scoring six points off of those takeaways.
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.
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