Freshman Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) scored a career-high 23 points but it wasn’t enough as Charlotte overcame a 17-point deficit and stormed back to hand the Gators a season-ending 81-77 overtime loss in the third round of the Postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament Thursday at Halton Arena.
Florida (20-15) scored the first five points of the second half and took a 48-31 lead after scores from Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.), but Charlotte settled down after a timeout and ripped off a 27-6 run and took a 58-53 lead with 9:42 remaining.
The Gators battled back with six straight points from the free throw line to regain the lead, which switched hands six consecutive trips down the floor, with the 49ers (26-9) ending the trend with a three-pointer for a two-point edge with 5:40 to play.
Bonds tied the score with a jumper just inside the arc, but Charlotte came right back with a pair of free throws to keep the lead.
Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) put in a tough shot inside and Bonds sank another layup and Florida took a 69-67 lead with 1:51 to play.
Shannon McCallum nailed a three-pointer and then collected a defensive rebound and dribbled the length of the court for the layin that gave the 49ers a 72-69 lead with 63 seconds remaining.
Bonds drilled her career-best fifth three-pointer with 51 seconds left and neither team would score again as the game entered overtime.
Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) put the first points of the extra frame on the board, but Charlotte answered with a duce.
Jones stepped up and nailed her third trey of the game, this one with 1:18 on the overtime clock, but McCallum’s confidence was oozing and she came right back with one for the hosts with 59 seconds remaining and Charlotte called a timeout to set up its defense.
Florida committed a turnover on its ensuing offensive possession and the 49ers made it costly as Jennifer Hailey came up with a steal and dished to Jai Forney, who hit the layup and gave Charlotte a 79-77 lead with 53 seconds left.
The Gators’ 22nd and final turnover of the game resulted in a layup by Kendria Holmes with 17.1 seconds remaining and Florida couldn’t find the bottom of the net, as Charlotte completed the impressive comeback to advance to the WNIT quarterfinals where it will play Virginia.
“Our turnovers were the story of the game,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We certainly scored enough points. Our second-half defense was good for 25 seconds in a possession and then we would give up the big play in the last five seconds. We fought hard and looked really, really good in some stretches and then we would give it right back to them. We just coughed the ball up way too much to beat a good team on its home court.”
Charlotte converted Florida’s 22 turnovers into 27 points, while outscoring the visitors, 41-29, in the second half.
Jones finished the game with 15 points, hitting 3-of-7 three-pointers and all four of her free throw attempts, while Stewart added 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots for Florida, which hit 42.9 percent from the floor during the game, but connected on just 2-of-8 during overtime.
George pulled down 10 rebounds to accompany nine points and four blocks, as she helped the Gators edge the 49ers on the boards, 43-40.
McCallum led all scorers with 25 points, with 21 coming after the first 20 minutes of play.
“We knew she was going to take big shots and make big plays and we just didn’t do a good job of being aware in the most crucial moments,” Butler said of McCallum.
Florida led throughout the first half, leading by as many as 15 points with just under six minutes to play after Stewart and George combine for a 6-0 run.
Bonds had the hot hand during the opening 20 minutes, when she scored 16 points, nailing 6-of-10 from the floor, including 4-of-7 three-pointers and guided the Gators to a 43-31 lead.
Thursday’s game was almost a microcosm of Florida’s 2010-11 season.
The Gators held a halftime lead in 19 games, but lost six of those on the road, holding double-figure leads in several, but unable to close out strong to get the win.
Florida played a program-record 35 games this year and 23 were decided by 10 points or less, with 16 of them being decided by six points or fewer.
The Gators did end their season having won six of their last eight games and can take that momentum into next year.
Ebonie Crawford (Duluth, Ga.), the lone senior on the 2010-11 roster, played one minute in her final collegiate game.
“I think this is a great indication of where we’re headed,” Butler said. “We have great momentum going into next year and we have virtually the entire team returning. We made great strides from the beginning of the season to where we are right now. We have a lot to build on and that’s where our thoughts have to be, dwelling on the positive and spring boarding into the future.”
Florida won 20 games for the 10th time in program history and earned a postseason berth for the 17th time in the last 19 years, including all four years under Butler.
