CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — The Stetson women's basketball team overcame a physical, tightly contested battle to edge Austin Peay, 56-53, at F&M Bank Arena Saturday, marking the Hatters' first road conference win of the season.
"It was a hard fought game!" said Coach Lynn Bria "Our team showed a lot of resilience against a very good APSU team."
Stetson (9-6, 2-2 ASUN) leaned on a strong defensive effort and balanced scoring, holding the Governors to just 13 percent from three-point range (3-of-23) and posting six team blocks and seven steals. The Hatters also grabbed a 39-38 rebounding advantage and converted second-chance opportunities, helping secure the narrow victory despite 19 turnovers. Promise Keshi's defensive presence was pivotal, recording her seventh multi-block game and eighth block in the past two outings.
The first quarter set the tone for a back-and-forth contest. After Austin Peay opened the scoring with free throws, Mary McMillan quickly responded with a three-pointer, and Stetson built a 14-10 lead by the quarter's end. Rose Caso sparked the break with a fast-break layup following a steal, while Keshi's late layup pushed the advantage further.
The second quarter featured multiple lead changes, with Jorah Eppley and Aleah Sorrentino hitting threes to extend Stetson's lead, while Cameron Thomas added a jumper and a transition triple. Despite a late Austin Peay push, the Hatters held a slim 27-23 advantage at halftime, converting several turnovers into points.
The third quarter was closely contested, with Keshi hitting a timely three-pointer and Thomas adding another trey to keep the Hatters ahead. McMillan's free throws at the buzzer extended the lead to 44-42 entering the final period.
The fourth quarter saw Stetson and Austin Peay trading baskets in the final minutes. With just over three minutes remaining, Caso's layup tied the game at 51, and later McMillan's free throw gave Stetson a 54-53 edge. A crucial turnover by the Governors in the final seconds allowed Caso to convert a free throw and seal the 56-53 win. Overall, the Hatters led for more than three-quarters of the contest, controlling 30:47 of possession.
The Hatters will stay on the road as conference play takes them to Charlotte for a matchup with the Queens Royals on Thursday, January 15. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM at Curry Arena and will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats avilable at GoHatters.com.
TOP PERFORMERS
- 16 points
- 3 three-pointers
- 6 rebounds
- 7 points
- 10 rebounds
- 2 blocks
- 10 points
- 3 blocks
- 3 assists
- 10 points
- 5-of-6 free throws
- 5 rebounds
- 10 points
- 3 steals
- 3 assists
GAME NOTES
- Four Hatters scored in double figures.
- Stetson held Austin Peay to 13% from three-point range.
- The bench contributed 19 points to the scoring output.
- Hatters grabbed a 39-38 edge on the boards, including 12 offensive rebounds.
- Stetson forced 13 turnovers and recorded six team blocks.
- Thomas notched her ninth game with 15+ points and eighth game with three or more three-pointers.
