WBB Wins 6th in a row, 84-67 over JU

WBB win 1-26-14Another game, another hero.

Saturday it was Jama Sharp’s turn to lead the team as she poured in a career-high 25 points behind seven three-pointers to lift Stetson to a 84-67 Atlantic Sun victory over Jacksonville. It was the Hatters’ sixth win in row overall and 11th consecutive victory at the Edmunds Center.

“I just did what I had to do to help the team,” a humble Sharp, pictured right, said after the game. “(My teammates) fed me when everyone collapsed on them. I just wanted to play hard and do my best.”

“I thought Jama was just on fire,” head coach Lynn Bria said. “She was wide open, and she took really good shots, especially in transition. (The Dolphins) were way off of her, and that’s where she got a lot of those threes.”

Sharp, who went 7-for-10 from behind the arc, wasn’t the only Hatter hitting from long range. Sasha Sims connected on three three-pointers and finished with 16 points, while C.J. Coddington and Myeisha Hall each added a trifecta as well.

“We hit some big threes that gave us some space in the game,” Bria said. “In the second half (Jacksonville) tried to get down on Amber (Porter) a little more, and that left somebody on the perimeter open.”

Amber Porter was strong once again as the freshman center registered 14 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks. Cherisse Burris approached a triple double with 10 points eight rebounds, and a career-high six assists.

“I trust my teammates so if I have the ball, I do look for them first,” Burris said. “If I have an open lane, I’ll take it.”

Despite scoring over 80 points for the ninth time this season, the Hatters (14-5, 6-1 A-Sun) had a few offensive droughts in each half that allowed the Dolphins (8-10, 5-2 A-Sun) to stay close.

“Overall it was a good game for us,” Bria said. “We went on stretches, though, where we didn’t score. However, we kept them from scoring, and I felt like that was huge for us. Normally when we don’t score, we don’t guard. I was real proud of our (defensive) effort regardless of what was happening on the offensive end.”

Jacksonville was within seven points midway through the second half when Sharp hit back-to-back threes to put Stetson up by 13. Burris added a couple of lay-ups before Coddington and Sims each connected from long range to put the game out of reach.

Stetson outshot Jacksonville 47% to 40% and outrebounded the Dolphins 45-33.

“(The Dolphins) are a great rebounding team, and they always have been,” Bria said. (Overall) they are a much improved from last year. In the effort categories we were really good, and one those was rebounding.”

Stetson will take its six-game win streak on the road for the next two weekends as the Hatters visit Northern Kentucky, Lipscomb, USC Upstate and ETSU before returning home on Feb. 13.

For all Hatter Sports news and happenings, visit GoHatters.com.