Azania Stewart was named the Most Outstanding Player and Jordan Jones earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team as the pair led Florida’s team effort in its 52-43 victory over Navy in the Dead River Company Classic championship game on Saturday afternoon at Alfond Arena on the University of Maine campus.
South Alabama defeated Maine, 66-55, in the consolation game.
Stewart totaled 24 rebounds during the two-game event, including a career-high 14 during Saturday’s win, while Jones scored 18 points, with 12 coming from beyond the arc in a pair of low scoring victories. Jones, who also was named to the Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Team, has a 3-pointer in nine consecutive games.
Freshman Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) led the Gators with 11 points on Saturday, as she hit 4-of-8 from the floor for Florida, which struggled with its shot for the third consecutive game by connecting on 32.3 percent (20-62).
In spite of the tough shooting night, UF head coach Amanda Butler was pleased the Gators (5-1) were able to come away with the win and earn the tournament title.
“We did what we came here to do and that was win a championship,” Butler said. “We didn’t anticipate it wasn’t going to be a pretty tournament for us, but at the same time, there were a lot of moments when we could have hung our heads and were pretty deep in a rut but still found a way to get ourselves out. I still feel like we put together two games that were tough. When you can win two basketball games and not play your best, then that makes you optimistic about the future.”
Florida held Navy without a field goal for the final 9:02 of the game, closing out the tight contest on a 13-2 run. The game featured 14 lead changes and seven tied scores.
All five of Florida’s games this season have been decided by 10 points or less and the Gators have won the rebounding battle in every game this season, including a 45-33 margin against Navy, which shot just 30.2 percent during the game and 23.8 percent in the second half.
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The Gators won the only other meeting in the series against the Midshipmen, 92-67 on Nov. 21, 1981, and was able to win its second Dead River Company Classic championship, as the Gators captured the 2000 title.
Florida didn’t get the energetic start it was hoping to begin the second half, opening with a quick turnover. The Gators recovered with a defensive stand and managed several offensive opportunities before turning the ball over again.
The first scoring for both teams came from the free throw line, with each hitting one.
Jordan Jones followed Jaterra Bond’s free throw with a three-pointer and gave Florida a four-point lead, its largest of the game to that point, but Cassie Consedine answered right back with one for the Mids, who closed within one point, 29-28, three minutes into the second.
Azania Stewart scored the next three points of the game and helped Florida retake its four-point cushion, 32-28, with 13:47.
Florida seemed to lose its composure along the way and foul trouble became an issue for the first time this season. Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) collected her third personal less than two minutes into the second half, and her replacement, Bonds picked up her fourth with 11:02 remaining in the game.
Bartley would later be whistled for her fourth with 7:54 to go.
She had been on the bench since collecting her third, with Bonds running the offense, but when she picked up her fourth, Bartley entered the game and immediately drove the paint and hit a runner that gave the Gators a 36-35 lead.
Navy came right back with four straight points and took a 39-36 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Deana Allen (Houma, La.) then knocked down a three-pointer from the left corner and tied the game at 39-all, but Consedine answered right back with a long shot with 9:02 remaining and gave the Mids a 41-39 lead.
That, however, would be Navy’s last field goal of the game, as Florida ripped off a game-ending 13-2 run the rest of the way to take the victory.
Jones ignited the final 6:40 of the game, nailing her third three-pointer of the contest. After one Navy free throw, Jaterra Bonds followed with a trey of her own and gave the Gators the momentum, as Florida held a 45-42 lead and forced a shot-clock violation on the other end.
Florida wasn’t able to take advantage and Navy was able to knock down a free throw and was within two points with 3:13 on the clock.
Ndidi Madu (Antoich, Tenn.) came back 14 seconds later with a jumper and Allen added one free throw.
Stewart then knocked down a 15-footer at the 1:27 mark and Bartley polished off the game’s scoring with her driving layup with 54 seconds remaining, as the Gators claimed the win and the tournament title.
Bonds finished with a team-high 11 points, while Stewart contributed nine points and a career-high 14 rebounds, with nine coming on the offensive end.
Jones also tallied nine points, all coming from beyond the arc.
Audrey Bauer led all scorers with 13 points, while Angela Myers added 10 for Navy, which shot just 23.8 percent during the second half, when Florida outscored the Mids 27-19.
The first half was extremely close throughout, with the teams seemingly trading scorers almost every trip down the court. The initial 20 minutes featured 10 lead changes and three tied scores.
Navy managed the largest lead, taking a 24-20 advantage with 4:55 remaining in the half. Fortunately for he Gators, the Mids went cold from the floor and didn’t score again in the period, as Floida’s Jaterra Bonds hit a floater in the lane with 4:09 on the clock and Jordan Jones nailed a three-pointer at the 1:34 mark to end the first half scoring and gave the Gators a slim 25-24 halftime lead.
Those points by Bonds and Jones were the only ones the Gators were able to score consecutively during the first half, as Navy managed a 5-0 spurt twice that gave the Mids the lead on both occasions.
Navy also found its way to the free throw, hitting 6-of-10, while Florida didn’t attempt one, but did connect on 5-of-14 three-pointers, with Jones, Bonds and Lanita Bartley knocking down one and Lily Svete going deep twice.
The usually accurate Azania Stewart struggled with her shot during the opening 20 minutes, missing six of her seven attempts. She did, however, collect five rebounds as Florida held a 20-17 edge in the category. Stewart’s off-night contributed to UF’s 31.3 shooting percentage (10-32) during the opening frame, while the Mids were only slightly better at 36.4 percent (8-22).
Navy scored seven points off of seven Florida turnovers, while the Gators were unable to capitalize on any of the Mids miscues.
The Gators next return to action on Tue., Nov. 30, when the team plays host to Old Dominion (3-1) in the O’Connell Center with tip-off schedule for 7 p.m.
