JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (February 25, 2006) - B.J. Banjo (Baltmore, Md.) and Candace Gibson (Warner Robins, Ga.) scored 26 and 13 points, respectively, in their final game in Memorial Center on Saturday, as the Lady Bucs topped Stetson, 80-59.  ETSU improves to 17-8 overall, 13-5 in the Atlantic Sun, while the Hatters fall to 8-17, 6-12 in conference.  With the win, the Lady Bucs are guaranteed no less than the third seed in the upcoming A-Sun tournament. 

After Stetson claimed a 46-44 lead with 15:47 to go in the second half, the Lady Bucs responded with a 36-13 run to end the game, earning the 21-point victory.  Both teams went cold midway through the second half, standing scoreless from the 14:13 mark, until a Brooke Wilhoit (Sevierville, Tenn.) free throw with 9:07 remaining.

The Lady Bucs got their first field goal in nearly six minutes, when Jenny Norman (Peachtree City, Ga.) hit a jumper at 8:19, giving ETSU the 54-46 advantage.  Stetson was held scoreless for over seven minutes during the stretch, finally getting a bucket from Jeni Hobbs at the 7:34 mark.

It was all Lady Bucs from there, as the Hatters couldn't cut the lead to single digits in the final seven minutes of the contest.

ETSU led by as many as 10 points in the first frame, extending the lead to 32-22 on a Norman foul shot with 5:10 to go.  The Hatters would cut the lead to five by the 1:13 mark, behind a bucket from Janene Maclin.  A last second layup by Banjo put ETSU up, 38-31, going into the locker room.

Maclin paced the Hatters with 19 points, including an 8-for-10 showing at the free-throw line.  Stetson had three players in double figures with Nefertiti Walker scoring 15, and Sharnesha Smith netting 14.  Hobbs grabbed a game-high seven boards for the Hatters.

Banjo's 26 led five Lady Bucs in double digits; Gibson with 13, Holly Moring (Irmo, S.C.) with 11, and Norman and Wilhoit with 10 each.  Banjo swished four threes, while Moring nailed a trio of triples.  Wilhoit finished an assist shy of a double-double with nine dishes.

Norman and Wilhoit led the way on the boards, pulling in six apiece, while Norman posted a game-high three blocks.

The Lady Bucs shot 45.0 percent from the field, and 47.1 from behind the arc, while Stetson managed to shoot 37.3, 30.8 from three-point range.  ETSU was stellar at the charity stripe, sinking 18 of 22 attempts, 81.8 percent on the day.  Banjo went 8-for-9 from the line, while Wilhoit posted a 5-for-6 showing.

The Lady Bucs will be on the road next weekend for their final pair of regular season games, taking on Gardner-Webb and Campbell.  ETSU will play the Runnin' Bulldogs first, tipping off at 7 p.m., on March 2, in Boiling Springs, N.C.