DeLAND, Florida —Stetson’s five freshmen combined for 48 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists as the Hatters held off a furious rally by Florida A&M for a 65-60 win, Saturday at Edmunds Center.
Grant Lozoya led the freshman quintet with 17 points, while also contributing two rebounds and assist. Freshmen points guard Divine Myles and Angel Rivera combined for 15 assists, one turnover and seven rebounds, while scoring nine points each. Wyatt Sikora had eight points, five rebounds and one assist, while Jonathan Joseph rounded out the freshman contributions with four points and three boards.
But despite the efforts of Stetson youngest players, the Hatters found themselves in a dog fight down the stretch.
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Stetson (5-10) led by as many as 17 points early in the second half but had to hold on for the win as the Florida A&M (0-13) duo of Jermaine Ruttley and Jorge Rosa combined to score 28 of FAMU’s final 35 points, all of those coming in the game’s final 12:39.
The Hatters led 44-27 with 12:15 to play before Ruttley and Rosa took over the game. After a Rosa layup made it 44-29, Ruttley scored 11 straight points to get the Rattlers within 46-40 with 7:22 to go.
Kentwan Smith’s three-pointer with 6:47 left made it 49-40. Rosa scored seven straight points to keep FAMU in it, his last basket making it a 54-47 game with 4:05 to play.
Lozoya made one-of two technical free throws, and Myles made two straight from the line to push Stetson’s lead back to double figures at 57-47 with 3:21 to play.
But the Rattlers wouldn’t go away. A three-pointer by Ruttley and a short jumper from Emanuel Pellot pulled FAMU within 57-52, but three straight points from Lozoya gave the Hatters a 60-53 lead.
After two more free throws from FAMU’s Craig Bowman, Wyatt Sikora converted a fast-break dunk for a 62-55 lead with 28 seconds left as Stetson finally sealed the game.
Smith was the only other Hatter to reach double figures in scoring, finishing with 10 points. He added seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Saturday’s game also marked the return to action of sophomore forward Brian Pegg. The Hatters’ leading scorer, Pegg has missed the previous five games with an injury. He scored two points and grabbed a pair of rebounds in four minutes.
Ruttley scored a game-high 24 points, while Rosa finished with 15.
The Hatters, who led 27-18 at halftime, shot 41 percent for the game but made just 7-of-28 shots from beyond the arc. Stetson was saved by its ball security as the Hatters committed just 10 turnovers.
Florida A&M shot 37 percent for the game, including 47 percent in the second half. FAMU out-rebounded Stetson, 40-39.
Stetson has a week off before opening Atlantic Sun Conference play at defending champion Florida Gulf Coast, 7:05 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10 in Fort Myers.
COURTESY STETSON UNIVERSITY MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
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