Florida plays host to fifth-ranked Tennessee on Thur., Jan. 13 in the O’Connell Center where tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised live on Comcast Sports South that airs in Gainesville on Cox Cable channel 259 Cox Sports and is part of the sports-tier package available. The radio broadcast of the game can be heard live in Gainesville on WBXY-FM 99.5 The Star and free on the internet at www.GatorZone.com, the official website of the Florida Gators.
Florida will be playing a home game for the first time in a week, last running the O’Connell Center floor on Thu., Jan. 2 and earning a 64-53 win against then-No. 22/24 Arkansas.
The game also is the lone home appearance during a four-game stretch for the team, which sports a modest nine-game home winning streak that includes an 8-0 mark this season. The nine-game run is tied for the fifth-longest in program history.
· WATCH interviews with Lanita Barley, Azania Stewart, Jordan Jones, Jaterra Bonds, Jennifer George and Ndidi Madu – FREE courtesy of GatorVision OnLine
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Florida (12-5, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) earned a thrilling 65-63 victory at South Carolina on Sunday, the Gator’s first true road win this season.
Tennessee (15-2, 3-0 SEC) had little trouble with Ole Miss, taking down the Rebels 86-46 on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Florida is averaging a respectable 67.1 points per game, with only redshirt junior Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.) recording a double-figure scoring average. Nine different Gators contribute at least 5.0 points per game, with 10 of the 12 reptiles averaging at least 13 minutes of playing time per contest.
In the last three games - all in the SEC - redshirt junior Ndidi Madu (Antioch, Tenn.) has stepped up her game, averaging a team-best 11.0 points per game and hitting 68.2 percent of her shot attempts. Madu scored a career-high 17 points in the two-point win at South Carolina on Sunday. Freshman Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) is averaging 9.7 points in SEC action, while sophomore Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) is adding 8.7 points and 7.0 rebounds during league play.
Tennessee has looked every bit like the preseason favorite to win the league, having ripped through its first three SEC games and winning by an average of 37.7 points per game.
In their first three SEC games, the Lady Vols are pouring in 89.7 points per outing, while holding opponents to 52.0 points. Overall, the club tallies 82.1 points and has won by an average of 25.8 points per contest.
Four different players average a double-figure scoring effort, paced by freshman guard Meighan Simmons, who contributes 16.2 points, hitting 35.1 percent from long range (34-97) and dishing 46 assists. Senior Angie Bjorklund adds 11.5 points and converts 40.6 percent (41-101) from the three-point arc. Glory Johnson records 10.3 points with a team-leading 8.9 rebounds per game.
Tennessee holds a commanding 40-3 all-time lead in the 43-game series against Florida, which has lost three in a row to the Lady Vols since earning a 66-57 win in Gainesville on Feb. 8, 2009.
Three of the last four in the series have been single-digit affairs, with last year’s 83-44 blowout in Knoxville knocking the close-game trend. The Gators have earned two wins at home (Feb. 8, 2009 and Jan. 21, 1997) and one in Knoxville (Feb. 26, 2006), where they became just the second unranked team ever to defeat the Lady Vols at home.
Thursday’s game is the first of two regular season meetings between Florida and Tennessee this season. The teams will play again on Thu., Feb. 10 in Knoxville.
With the expanded 16-game SEC schedule that began last season, the Gators will have home-and-home series again this year against Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt
Game Day Information
Florida Gators (12-5, 2-1 SEC) host the #5/6 Tennessee Lady Vols (15-2, 3-0)
Thursday, January 13, 2011 - 7 pm ET
Stephen C. O’Connell Center (12,000) - Gainesville, Fla.
