Freshman Kayla Lewis (Decatur, Ga.) scored a career-high 13 points, sophomore Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) collected a career-high 12 rebounds and point guards Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) led the final 16-4 run that helped Florida earn a hard-fought 63-55 victory over Old Dominion Tuesday evening in the O’Connell Center.
After ODU scored the first points of the second half to take a four-point lead, the Gators used a 14-3 run to build a 39-32 advantage. The Monarchs (3-2) regrouped with an 8-1 run of their own and tied the game at 40-all with 9:32 remaining.
The teams then traded scores with six lead changes over the next three and half minutes, before ODU marched off a 6-1 spree and held a 51-47 advantage with 5:13 to play.
That’s when the Gators (6-1) ripped off a game-ending 16-4 run, fueled by Lanita Bartley and timely free throws to earn their fourth consecutive win.
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The Gators hit 10-of-16 free throws in the final 5:03 of the game and received scoring during that final stretch from Jaterra Bonds, who tallied six points, including a 4-of-4 effort from the line, Bartley, who contributed six points that included a pair of field goals, as well as three points from Jennifer George and two from Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.).
“It just felt like Lanita took over the game. She wasn’t going to accept anything except us winning,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “When you have two point guards that have the competitive spirit that ours do, then you’ve got a chance every night.”
In addition to her career rebounding night, George came off the bench to scored seven points, including 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Lewis, who also came off the bench for the first time this year, responded with a career scoring effort, hitting 6-of-10 from the floor and was a bright spot during the first half when the Gators struggled overall with their shot, connecting on just 31.3 percent (10-32).
Florida finished by hitting 38.2 percent (21-55) from the floor and made 21 free throws, but converted just 58.3 percent from the line, as it made a season-high 36 trips. Florida also missed all 11 of its three-point attempts ending a streak of 96 games of having at least one.
Bonds recorded 10 points for her third career double-figure scoring game for Florida, which posted the 595th win the program’s 37th season of varsity action.
Freshman Deaundra Young (Titusville, Fla.) contributed six of her seven points during the second half, when Florida outscored Old Dominion, 38-28. Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) tied a season-high of four blocked shots, while grabbing four rebounds.
The teams both recorded 38 rebounds, as Florida has not allowed an opponent to hold the edge on the glass this season, as every decision by the Gators has been by 10 points or less.
“I’m really, really proud of the way we played, battled and fought. It was a tremendous team win. Azania (Stewart) sustained us for a while. (Jennifer) George’s rebounds, especially down the stretch were huge,” Butler said. “I thought Deaundra Young gave us a spark off the bench. The plays were divided among everyone and I think that’s what makes us really hard to play against.”
Shadisia Green led all scorers with 14 points and four assists, while Tia Lewis added 11 points and Jasmine Parker tallied 10 with four assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Lady Monarchs, who shot 40.7 percent from the floor and hit 8-of-13 from the free throw line, but had 25 turnovers that Florida converted into 25 points.
Florida rose to the challenge on its first two defensive stands of the second half, but missed a handful of short range attempts and was unable to tie or take the lead after trailing at halftime for only the second time this season.
Shadasia Green connected on two free throws to start the second half scoring and gave ODU a four-point lead, but the Gators pushed the ball and Lanita Bartley dished to Kayla Lewis, who sank the layup and cut the deficit to two, 29-27.
ODU coach Wendy Larry didn’t like what she saw from her club and called a timeout following that play. The Monarchs were one and done on their next offensive possession and the Gators became more aggressive on the offensive boards and it eventually paid off, as Jordan Jones nailed a seven-footer in the lane and tied the score at 29-all with 16:02 on the clock.
The band had barely quieted after the media timeout, when ODU’s Jasmine Parker nailed a three-pointer and the visitors were back on top.
Deaundra Young brought Florida back within one after a power layup inside. A turnover by the Monarchs gave the Gators a chance to take the lead. Florida attempted a couple of shots, missed them all but great hustle by Deana Allen kept the ball with the Gators.
UF didn’t convert, but forced a quick turnover and Lewis nailed a 12-footer from the left corner.
After forcing another turnover, Young put back up an offensive rebound that gave UF a 33-32 lead. A furious defensive effort caused yet another miscue and the Gators were on the attack, as Jennifer George was eventually sent to the free throw line after trying to put back a miss and sank two from the free throw line that gave Florida a 37-32 lead with 11:24 remaining.
Young went back to the free throw line and made two more, as the lead swelled to seven, 39-32.
Jasmine Parker finally ended UF’s 10-0 run with a layup from the corner and Tia Lewis followed with a short jumper inside to cut the Gator lead to three.
Lanita Bartley hit one free throw, but ODU came back with a power move inside and the visitors were back within two with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Bartley missed a pair from the line and the Monarchs took advantage with a bucket to tie the game at 40-all.
Lewis kept UF in the lead with a jumper, but Jasmine Parker nailed a 25-footer as the shot clock was winding down that gave ODU the lead.
The teams then traded buckets and the lead, with Bartley slicing for both of UF’s scores and helped the Gators to a 46-45 lead with 7:06 remaining.
Parker again scored and the lead changed hands for the eighth time in the game. Bartley again missed two from the stripe, but this time ODU was able to connect and took a three-point lead with 5:55 on the clock.
Azania Stewart made one of two from the line and brought the Gators within two, but UF was whistled for a foul and Shadasia Green made both of her attempts.
Jennifer George continued UF’s free throw woes, hitting only one of two, but did bring the Gators back within three, 51-48, with 5:03 to go.
After an ODU turnover, Jordan Jones took her turn at the free throw line, where she made one of two and UF slowly cut the deficit.
George went back to the line and made one again. After a defensive stand, Bartley drove hard and converted the tough layup to give UF a 52-51 lead with 3:26 remaining.
Bartley struck again with another slicing drive and lifted UF to a 54-51 advantage with 2:47 on the clock.
Bartley couldn’t extend UF’s lead at the, where she missed one a the 2:16 mark, but her make increased the lead to four.
Tia Lewis ended UF’s run with two free throws, but Jaterra Bonds scored on a short jumper inside and the Gators again led by four, 57-53.
George was fouled collecting a defensive rebound and was able to make one for a 58-53 lead.
Bartley was then whistled for a personal going for an offensive loose ball, but ODU’s Voronina missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Bonds then took her turn at the line, where she calmly hit both and gave UF a 60-53 lead.
The Monarch missed a jumper and George corralled her 12th rebound of the game – two more than her career high. She outletted the ball to Jones, who was fouled.
Jones missed the first but made the second and Florida held a 61-53 lead with 21 seconds left.
Green made a field goal at the other end and ODU called a timeout, setting up a full court press with 15.2 ticks remaining, as the Monarchs quickly fouled Bonds, who stepped up and nailed both for the final points of the game.
“I believe Old Dominion is a postseason team. I don’t know what the rest of their conference looks like, but they generally dominate it so there’s no question that beating a quality team like that is going to build our resume and more than anything, build our confidence,” Butler said.”
Florida had two turnovers before it got its first points of the game, as ODU raced out to a 7-0 lead. Stewart (Wood finally opened the lid on the bucket two and half minutes into the game.
The Lady Monarchs continued to feed the ball inside and it proved effective, as the visitors hit 5-of-7 during the early going, good for an 11-5 lead.
A free throw from Deaundra Young and an short jumper from Kayla Lewis helped the Gators reel in the Monarchs, closing the deficit to four, 11-7 just over six minutes into the contest.
ODU came right back with a similar scoring set and was back up by seven, before Jennifer George put back an offensive rebound.
Tia Lewis scored on a transition break and kept Florida at a distance, but after a couple of missed chances from both teams Rebbecca Allison converted a driving layup in traffic and had Old Dominion ahead, 18-10.
Ndidi Madu stopped the run with a jumper inside. Florida had a few other opportunities at close range, but couldn’t get the ball to drop and remained six points down until Kayla Lewis was able to sink her floating runner from the side and brought the Gators within four with 6:05 on the clock.
Lewis again hit from short range and cut the deficit to two, 18-16, but ODU broke out of its four-minute drought with an inside shot from Alena Voronina and JoNiquia Guilford followed 33 seconds later with another short shot and lifted the Monarchs lead to six.
Stewart answered at the other end for Florida and Madu followed with one free throw, but Parker nailed an 8-footer in the lane to push the lead back to five.
Jaterra Bonds then made two free throws and hit a 12-footer and the Gators were within one, 24-23. After a miss by Parker, Madu canned a 17-footer from straight away and gave Florida a 25-24 lead – its first of the game – with 19 seconds remaining.
Parker missed on the other end, but the ball went out of bounds with the possession remaining in favor of the visitors, who capitalized when Jackie Cook nailed a three-pointer in front of Florida’s bench as the horn sounded and gave ODU the 27-25 halftime lead.
Florida’s shooting woes continued, as the team hit just 31.3 percent (10-32) during the opening 20 minutes, while ODU shot a healthy 48.1 percent (13-27).
Cook’s three-pointer was the only one of the half by either team, as the Gators missed all nine of their attempts, while the Monarchs were 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.
The Gators return to action on Sat., Dec. 4, when the team travels north to compete in the Brown BEAR Basketball Classic hosted by Brown University. Florida plays Providence on Saturday at 4 p.m., before facing host Brown on Sunday at 2 p.m.
