Florida returns to the road and travels 1,036 miles back north to compete at the Brown BEAR Basketball Classic, Dec. 3-5, hosted by Brown University. The Gators will play a pair of teams from the state of Rhode Island in the pre-determined two-game event, first battling Providence College on Saturday at 4 p.m., before facing host Brown on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Florida (6-1) spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Maine, where the team traveled 2,574 miles round trip to compete in and win the Dead River Company Classic hosted by the University of Maine, Nov. 26-27.
This weekend’s event is a three-team tournament that actually gets underway on Friday, with Providence (5-4) playing Brown and winning 55-30.
· VIDEO: Coach Amanda Butler, Jennifer George and Azania Stewart preview Saturday’s game – FREE courtesy GatorVision OnLine
During UF’s modest four-game win streak, a different player has been the team’s leading scorer in each, with three players tied with 10 points in the win against South Alabama. Kayla Lewis scored a career and team-high 13 points in the victory against Old Dominion, while Jaterra Bonds’ 11 points led the Gators against Navy, Jennifer George’s 13 points was tops against North Florida, while Lewis, Azania Stewart and Jordan Jones shared team honors against South Alabama.
Jones leads the Gators’ offense overall with a 10.0 points per game average, while Stewart contributing 9.7 points with a team-leading 9.3 rebounds.
It’s been a true team effort during this four-game winning streak, as Florida has held its opponents to 50.0 points per game and limited foes to shooting 32.7 percent from the floor, 27.9 percent from the 3-point arc (17-61) and forced 18.5 turnovers. Old Dominion’s 55 points are the most the Gators have surrendered during that span.
Saturday’s game against Providence will be the third time Florida has played a game in the state of Rhode Island. The Gator’s last trip to the Ocean State was Dec. 2, 1984, when Florida defeated Rhode Island, one day after downing Brown.
Florida won the other meeting in the series against Providence, taking the 88-56 decision back on Jan. 25, 2001 in Gainesville.
The Friars jumped out to a 3-1 record before losing three tough games, the last two at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas during Thanksgiving, first falling 63-56 to Arizona State, before an 82-80 triple-overtime setback to Alabama. Providence evened its overall record on Wed., Dec. 1, when the club downed Yale 74-62. Junior Miranda Tate tallied 18 points in the victory, as did Symone Roberts, who leads the team with 15.4 points per game. Teya Wright leads a talented rebounding core, as she hauls in 9.1 per game, while the Friars collect 49.1 overall and hold a +9.3 rebounding margin against their opponents.
Providence also is very effective in finding its way to the free throw line, where the team averages 12.5 attempts per game, with Roberts already taking 36 trys through eight games.
Tournament Information
Florida (6-1) vs. Providence (5-4)
** Brown BEAR Basketball Classic **
Sat., December 4, 2010 - 4 pm ET
Pizzitola Sports Center (2,800) * Providence, R.I.
