Florida plays host to Alabama on Thursday aiming to end its frustrating four-game losing streak, with two of the setbacks coming after the Gators held a double-digit lead during the second half. Tip-off from the O’Connell Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The game will be televised live statewide on Sun Sports/FOX Sports Florida statewide (in Gainesville on Cox channel 70/770 (HD) and the radio broadcast can be heard live in Gainesville on WBXY-FM 99.5 The Star and free thru the internet at www.GatorZone.com.
Florida dropped a heartbreaking 59-58 decision at home to No. 19 Kentucky on Thursday after erasing a 10-point first-half deficit and taking a 10-point lead with 5:29 remaining. Four days earlier in Athens, the Gators raced out to a big lead that swelled to 16 points as late as 14:17 against Georgia, but lost 70-64. Sandwiched between those two tough outings was an 83-40 home loss to No. 5/6 Tennessee and Sunday’s 72-58 decision at LSU.
Florida never seemed to be able to get on track and lost to LSU 72-58 in Baton Rouge on Sunday. Jordan Jones scored 15 points to lead the Gators, who hit 9-of-19 from the three-point arc, but allowed the Lady Tigers to hit 50.9 percent overall from the floor, including 54.2 percent in the second half.
Twelve of Florida’s 21 games this season have been decided by 10 points or fewer, with eight being six-point-or-less differences.
Alabama enters Thursday’s game also riding a multi-game skid and is searching for its first SEC win of the year, having dropped its initial seven league games. Four of the team’s seven SEC losses have been by 11 points or less.
Alabama dropped a 59-48 decision to South Carolina in Columbia, where Alicia Mitcham scored a team-high 11 points for the Crimson Tide, which shot just 30.4 percent in the game and was out-rebounded 49-27.
Thursday’s slate of SEC games caps the first half of the 16-game league schedule, with the majority of the 12 conference teams playing their eighth game on Thursday.
The Florida-Alabama series definitely has a home-court favorite flavor to it. The Crimson Tide hold a 28-20 lead in the 48-game series. Alabama, which won both regular-season meetings last season, is 11-6 in games played in Tuscaloosa, including last year’s 82-58 win in Coleman Coliseum. The Gators sport an 11-7 record when playing the Tide in Gainesville.
Thursday’s game is the first of two regular-season meetings between Florida and Alabama. The teams will again square off on Sun., Feb. 13 and will be the first game played in the newly renovated and historic Foster Auditorium.
Alabama senior forward Tierney Jenkins has been a double-double machine, posting 13 already - the second highest total in the country this season. Jenkins is contributing 16.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals to rank second among all SEC players in the three categories. Foul trouble against South Carolina kept her at bay, as she scored just two points with one rebound in 27 minutes on Sunday. Freshman star Kaneisha Horn, one of the top recruits in the nation, is recording 8.3 points and 5.5 rebounds overall, with marks of 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds coming in SEC action.
Alabama ranks second in the SEC and 10th in the country for turnover margin at 7.1 per game.
Jordan Jones leads the very balanced Gator scoring effort, recording 10.2 points per game, hitting a team-leading 43 three-pointers at a 37.4 percent clip and playing 32.4 minutes per outing.
Azania Stewart is Florida’s leading rebounder with 6.0 per game and is a close second with a 51.5 percent field goal mark (Stewart led the SEC in field goal percentage last year, 61.9%). Her 33 blocked shots are also tops for the Gators.
Lanita Bartley is dishing 3.29 assists and 1.81 steals, while finding her way to the free throw a team-best 70 times.
Florida is averaging a respectable 65.2 points per game and Jones is the only Gator recording a double-figure scoring average. Ten different Gators contribute at least 4.9 points per game, with 10 of the 12 reptiles averaging at least 13.5 minutes of playing time per contest.
Through seven SEC games, junior newcomer Deana Allen is averaging team-bests of 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, including her 14 point-13-rebound performance against Georgia on Jan. 16. She followed with a team-leading 13-point effort versus No. 19 Kentucky on Thursday.
Jones has found her long-range shooting touch in seven SEC games, hitting 45.2 percent (14-31) of her attempts.
Game Day Information
Florida Gators (12-9, 2-5 SEC) host the Alabama Crimson Tide (11-9, 0-7 SEC)
Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 7 pm ET
Stephen C. O’Connell Center (12,000) - Gainesville, Fla.
