DeLAND, Fla. – In the opening game of the Hatter Classic, Stetson defeated Campbell, 76-63, Friday afternoon inside the Edmunds Center.
Redshirt junior RaeChaun Edwards and senior Juli Osborne each totaled 12 points to lead the Lady Camels, who move to 5-5 on the year. Edwards posted six assists, five turnovers, and two steals, while Osborne added three rebounds and a steal.
For Stetson (8-3), Amber Porter notched a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds, also generating three assists and a steal.
Campbell shot 26-for-65 (40.0 pct.) from the floor, going 3-for-16 (18.8 pct.) from three and 8-for-14 (57.1 pct.) from the free throw line. Stetson was 26-of-58 (44.8 pct.) from the floor, 8-for-25 (32.0 pct.) from beyond the arc, and 16-of-23 (69.6 pct.) from the line.
After the Hatters opened the game with a 10-6 advantage, the Lady Camels posted an eight-point run spanning two minutes to capture the 14-10 lead with 13:49 to go. Four CU players scored in the run, led by Edwards, who notched a layup at the 15:28 mark to tie the game at 10 and converted the three-point play to give Campbell its first lead of the game.
However, Stetson used its own eight-straight points over two minutes to reclaim the lead, 21-16, with 10:42 remaining before halftime. A Jama Sharp layup with 12:34 to go in the half put the Hatters ahead 17-16 and Stetson didn't give up the lead the remainder of the game.
The closest the Lady Camels came to the Hatters in the game was three points, 24-21, on a Qua Brown layup at the 8:37 stamp in the first half.
Stetson extended its lead to 38-23 with just over five minutes before the break on an 11-1 run over two minutes.
The Hatter defense held CU without a field goal for nearly five minutes, with a Qua Brown layup ending the drought at 3:52, bringing the score to 38-25.
Stetson tacked on four more points before heading to the locker room, while Summer Leverette put down CU's first three of the game with 1:41 to go. Neither team scored after Leverette's basket and the Hatters took the 42-27 lead to halftime.
Campbell shot 11-for-30 (36.7 pct.) from the floor and 1-for-8 (12.5 pct.) from beyond the arc, while Stetson was 15-of-29 (51.7 pct.) from the field and 3-for-11 (27.3 pct.) from three in the opening frame.
The Lady Camels pieced together several runs in the second half but couldn't catch the Hatters.
Campbell posted a 10-1 run over 3:21 to cut the Hatter lead to 57-45 with 10:22 remaining in the game. Edwards notched six of CU's 10 points while Osborne added four. The Lady Camels held the Hatter offense without a point for over three minutes in the span.
A two-minute 9-2 Lady Camel jump brought CU within 13, 57-54, with 5:13 remaining, as Osborne put in two more layups, Summer Price knocked down a three, and MaKala Rouse added two points.
However, the Hatters answered with a 9-3 three sprint to retake a 76-56 advantage with 2:41 to go in the game.
Campbell ended the contest on three-straight baskets from Price, Amanda Coffer, and Jewell Yarborough.
Campbell is back at the Edmunds Center Saturday at 3 p.m. taking on Bethune-Cookman in CU's final game before the Christmas break.
