Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England), Kayla Lewis (Decatur, Ga.) and Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.) each tallied 10 points and the Florida women’s basketball team overcame a poor shooting night to defeat South Alabama, 61-51, at Alfond Arena Friday evening in the first round of the Dead River Company Classic hosted by the University of Maine.
The Gators (4-1) used a 20-4 run during a six-minute span midway through the second half to blow open a tight game and then held on as the Jaguars (2-3) made a late rally. All five of Florida’s games this season have been decided by 10 points or less.
“Tonight was definitely the battle we fully expected. Although we expected it, we didn’t play like we did in the first half. We played really soft,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “I was proud of the way we responded in the second half. The way we came out of the locker room and played in those first three minutes set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Florida tied a season-low 33.3 percent shooting effort, hitting just 26-of-78 from the floor, including 2-of-11 three-pointers and sank only 7-of-16 free throws, but dominated the boards, with a 57-42 advantage that the Gators turned into 20 points thanks to 29 offensive rebounds. Florida did hit 40 percent during the deciding second half.
“Rebounding is one of the areas that helped sustain us in this game,” Butler said. “South Alabama is a very good rebounding team and to pull down 57 total rebounds against them showed great effort and desire on our part.”
Stewart , who hit 5-of-8 from the field while charting three blocked shots, corralled 10 rebounds to net her second consecutive double-double and third of the year, while point guard Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) also grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.
In addition to her third double-figure scoring effort of the year, Jones dished a team-best four assists and hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final 32 seconds to secure the victory. She also hit one three-pointer, extending her streak to eight consecutive games dating back to last season of sinking at least one from long range.
Ndidi Madu (Antioch, Tenn.) provided a huge spark off the bench with eight points and nine rebounds, as did the play of senior Ebonie Crawford (Decatur, Ga.) and Lily Svete (Granger, Ind.). The Gator bench accounted for 25 points.
“The play of Ndidi Madu was significant because she brought great energy to the floor,” Butler said. “
“Ebonie’s charge in the first half was amazing,” Butler praised. “She hasn’t taken one since she suffered a concussion in practice three weeks ago. That was a huge, gutsy play and made us confident in the first half because we didn’t have a lot to be confident about in those first 20 minutes.
“Lily had a huge play for us in the second half when our shots weren’t falling and really got our team fired up,” Butler continued.
Florida advances to Saturday’s championship game and will play Navy beginning at approximately 2 p.m. ET.
The Mids defeated Maine, 65-43, in their first round game. The consolation game between South Alabama and Maine will be played at noon.
Saturday will be the second all-time meeting between Navy and Florida, which won the 92-67 decision on Nov. 21, 1981, at the Virginia Tip-Off Tournament held in Charlottesville, Va.
The Gators will be aiming for their second Dead River Company Classic title, having also captured the 2000 championship in the program’s only other trip to the state of Maine.
Florida roared out of the locker room with a 6-0 run to build on its 24-23 halftime lead. Stewart hit a jumper in the paint, before Bartley converted a layup on a dish from Jones and Madu capped the spree with a 16-footer from the top of the key.
The Jaguars chipped away at the Gator lead, and staged an 8-2 run to close within one, 32-31. After another bucket from Stewart, the Jags scored the next four points and held a 35-34 lead with 14:04 remaining.
That’s when the Gators dug deep and ripped off the game-changing run, as Jones started it with a driving layup, followed by an inside jumper from Deaundra Young (Titusville, Fla.) and one from Bartley on an assist from Deana Allen (Houma, La.).
During Florida’s next possession, the Gators went cold from all over the court, but collected six offensive rebounds between one missed USA attempt, before Svete drove hard to the hoop, made the bucket and was fouled, earning a standing ovation from her teammates on the bench.
The teams traded scores for the next couple of minutes, before Stewart’s offensive put-back sparked a 10-0 run and the Gator lead swelled to 15 points, 54-39, with 6:10 remaining in the game. Madu and Lewis also chipped in during the spree.
The Jaguars refused to fold and staged a 12-2 run of their own and closed within five points, 56-51, with 56 seconds remaining.
Bartley had a chance to extended UF’s lead from the free throw line, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. Stewart, however, was there to collect the miss and keep the possession with the Gators.
South Alabama was forced to foul and Jones stepped up to secure the victory, as she hit 5-of-6 from the line in the final 32 seconds to polish of the win.
Florida easily had its worst shooting performance of any half this season, hitting just 26.8 percent in the opening frame, yet still managed to squeak out a 24-23 halftime lead.
The Gators out-rebounded the Jaguars 30-21 during those first 20 minutes, with 15 coming on the offensive end, but couldn’t take advantage as they missed countless put-back buckets.
All 12 Gators saw action during the first stanza, including Ebonie Crawford (Decatur, Ga.), who played for the first time this season. But the lone Gator senior didn’t just play, she sparked the Gators by hitting her first field goal attempt of the season, coming with 1:58 on the clock and gave UF a 22-21 lead. Crawford then took a charge on the Gators’ ensuing defensive stint.
Florida turned the ball over on its next trip down the floor and USA’s Cylenthia Kennon converted a pair of free throws that swung the lead to the Jaguars.
The Gators missed a couple put-backs, but stood tall and Jordan Jones collected a loose rebounds with 21 seconds remaining, as Florida called a timeout to set up the final possession of the half, which worked to perfection as Jaterra Bonds inbounded the ball to Kayla Lewis, who caught the pass and coolly nailed the six-footer in the paint with two seconds remaining and the Gators took a 24-23 lead at the break.
For Crawford, the field goal was her first points since Dec. 12, 2008, when she converted her only field goal attempt against Florida A&M.
South Alabama didn’t shoot that much better, hitting 29.6 percent from the floor, but did connect on one more three-pointer and four more free throws, as the Gators missed all of their three attempts.
UF missed its first seven shots of the game before Deaundra Young (Titusville, Fla.) ended the cold spell with a tough bucket inside with 16:37 on the clock, as the Gators evened the score at 2-all.
South Alabama took an 8-2 lead, as UF continued to struggle with its shot and Butler rotated the lineup searching for one with chemistry and intensity.
Brittany Shine (Sacramento, Calif.), Stewart and Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) each converted a bucket and drew fouls on their makes, but none completed the three-point play yet tied the score.
Neither team led by more than three the rest of the half, with South Alabama holding that largest margin last at 3:05 with a 21-18 score.
Madu nailed a deep jumper before Crawford entered the ball game and added a spark with her bucket and charge. Two free throws by USA to take a 23-22 lead set the stage for the waning seconds when the Gators converted the final shot of the half to take the halftime lead.
On a side note, the Gators awoke Friday morning to snow-covered roads and a steady falling of snow, the first ever sighting of it by Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.), Deana Allen (Houma, La.) and Deaundra Young (Titusville, Fla.).
