JACKSONVILLE, FL – Cameron Thomas and Mary McMillan delivered double-double performances to lead the Stetson Hatters to an 80-63 road victory over the North Florida Ospreys on Saturday afternoon. Thomas tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds, while McMillan contributed 13 points and 10 assists, marking the Hatters' first road win of the season. With the victory, Stetson improved to 9-7 overall and 3-1 in ASUN play, splitting their road trip to Jacksonville.
Stetson's offense thrived on exceptional ball movement, recording 24 assists on 30 made field goals. McMillan's 10 assists were the most by a Hatter since McKenna Beach had 11 against Lipscomb on Jan. 12, 2019. Thomas, meanwhile, extended her streak of scoring 15 or more points to six consecutive games while setting a new season-high in rebounds.
Three additional Hatters scored in double figures, including Tiasia McMillan, who added 14 points and seven rebounds. Tiasia is now just nine points away from reaching the 1,000-career-point milestone.
Diawna Carter-Hartley made her first start of the season and contributed 10 points and seven rebounds, while Jorah Eppley knocked down four three-pointers to finish with 13 points in the win.
Defensively, the Hatters forced 15 North Florida turnovers while committing a season-low 11. Those takeaways translated into 23 points on the offensive end, with Thomas leading the defensive charge with three steals.
Stetson set the tone early, jumping out to an 8-4 lead before unleashing an 8-0 run, highlighted by a Cameron Thomas three-pointer, to go up 16-4 with 4:43 left in the first quarter. The Hatters dominated in the paint, scoring 16 of their 22 first-quarter points near the basket to take a commanding 22-8 lead into the break.
The second quarter saw the Hatters extend their lead with a 6-0 run, capped by a McMillan three-pointer, to go up 30-12. North Florida trimmed the deficit, but Stetson maintained a 41-33 advantage at halftime, fueled by three three-pointers in the period.
In the third quarter, Stetson fended off North Florida's attempts to close the gap. A 5-0 run, punctuated by a three-pointer from Eppley, pushed the lead to 57-47 late in the quarter. The Ospreys clawed back slightly, but the Hatters entered the final frame with a 59-50 lead.
Stetson put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, highlighted by another McMillan three-pointer, to build a 67-50 cushion with 6:12 remaining. The Hatters cruised from there, finishing strong to secure the 80-63 win. They added nine more points from beyond the arc in the final period, wrapping up a balanced and dominant performance.
Stetson will continue its road trip on Thursday, Jan. 16, when they visit North Alabama to take on the Lions. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM.
