All season long, the Stetson women’s basketball team has been focused on improving every day, working together on a consistent basis, and ultimately playing its best basketball come postseason play.

Well, the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship has arrived, and the No. 2 seeded Hatters (22-6) enter the tournament on a season-high six-game winning streak.

But is the team playing its best basketball?

“I think we can play better within the tournament, but our confidence level is high,” senior Myeisha Hall said.  “I think we can improve on playing together as one unit, playing better defensively and rebounding.”

“You always want to play a little better, but I do think we are playing better than we have all year,” Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said.  “We are much improved. We are getting used to playing with each other, and that’s a good thing.”

Stetson will have home court advantage through at least the first two rounds, beginning with Friday’s quarterfinal match-up with seventh-seeded Lipscomb (8-20).  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN3 and WSBB radio.

The Hatters swept the season series from the Lady Bisons, winning 82-77 in Nashville and 103-75 in DeLand.  Lipscomb has lost nine straight games overall, but Bria says they still present a challeging match-up for the Hatters.

“Lipscomb shoots the ball really well,” Bria said.  “We have to contest every shot.  I thought the two times we played them we gave them too many open looks.  Also, they push the ball in transition very well, so our transition defense is going to be very important.  Lipscomb is a scary team because they have good players, and they do a lot things well.  They are well-coached, so we will have our work cut out for us.”

The Hatters have presented a balanced attack all season.  Stetson is the only team in the nation with four players averaging 13.0 points or better per game.  First team all-conference selection Jama Sharp leads the way with a 14.1 scoring average. She also averages 4.1 assists and 3.3 steals per game.

Joining Sharp in double figures is Hall (13.8), Brianti Saunders (13.7), and Amber Porter (13.2).  As a team, the Hatters average 71.9 points per game.

Defensively, the Hatters allow just 58.4 points per game.  Opoonents shoot just 35.2 percent, the best defensive mark in the conference and the 15th-best mark in the nation.

Stetson is also 12-1 at home this year and the Hatters have won 28 of their last 30 games at the Edmunds Center.

The winner of Friday’s game will advance to the A-Sun semifinals on Wednesday against the winner of Northern Kentucky and USC Upstate.  For now, the Hatters are strictly focused on Friday’s quarterfinal, and they cannot wait for tip-off.

“I am kind of anxious to start the tournament, but I feel good,” Hall said.  “I wish Friday was already here.”

Tickets start at $7.00 and can be purchased online or at the Edmunds Center box office.

For more Hatters sports visit GoHatters.com.

by Jamie Bataille