Ole
Miss nailed a season-best 11-of-16 three-pointers and staved off Florida’s second-half
rally and defeated the Gators 88-81 at the O’Connell Center Thursday evening.
The
loss was the third straight at home for the Gators (13-7, 2-4 SEC) , who had
won 15 consecutive in Gainesville prior to this current slide, while Ole Miss (8-11,
1-5 SEC) halted a five-game losing streak and earned its first Southeastern
Conference win of the year.
Ole Miss
led by as many as 17 points, but the Gators were able to cut their deficit to
three points, 76-73, with 3:30 left in regulation, but couldn’t overtake the hot-shooting
Rebels though and lost their sixth SEC game by eight points or less.
“You’ve got to give Ole Miss credit for
the way they came here and the confidence they played with,” UF head coach Amanda
Butler said. “I really admire their team and how hard they play for each
other and the amount of pride that they play with, how unaffected they are when
things don’t go their way—because things haven’t gone their way at all this
season. It’s a great demonstration of maturity and how valuable the intangibles
are. We clearly have a lot of things that we have to correct and have to grow
up a lot. It’s a very tough league and I’ve said this from the beginning, there
are no bad teams. If you’re not ready to play, you’re going to lose. It doesn’t
matter where you are, doesn’t matter who it’s against. So, you’ve got to give
Ole Miss a lot of credit and their coaches; they did a fantastic job.”
Redshirt
sophomore Kayla Lewis (Decatur, Ga.) led the way for UF with a
career-best 23 points. Lewis was 9-for-13 from the field on her career night
and was three rebounds shy of her third double-double of the season. Junior Jaterra
Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) and freshmen January Miller (Orlando,
Fla.) and Sydney Moss (Union, Ky.) all scored in double figures, with
16, 14 and 12, respectively. Moss collected seven rebounds, while Bonds grabbed
six and Miller came away with three steals.
Junior
Valencia McFarland recorded 24 points and 10 assists to pace Ole Miss. It
marked McFarland’s first double-double of the season. In total, five Rebels
scored in double figures.
All
five Rebels who attempted a three-pointer made at least one, led by freshman
Gracie Frizzell who hit all four of hers during the first half when Ole Miss
built a 50-39 lead thanks in part to a 9-of-10 effort from beyond the arc
during the opening 20 minutes.
The
Rebels were red-hot from downtown from the onset of the game. Ole Miss shot an
absurd 9-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half. The team ended up
finishing 11-for-16 from three (68.8%). Florida was 30-for-78 (38.5%) shooting
and was out-rebounded 48-44. Both were improvements from its performance against
South Carolina.
“Clearly
they made shots,” Butler said. “I think that we were probably the recipient of
their best shooting night ever. But again, the only way you change that is
defensively what you would do.”
The two
teams alternated baskets in to begin the game. Neither team held a lead greater
than three points in the first seven minutes of the game.
Fueled
by consecutive three-point field goals by Ole Miss freshman Gracie Frizzell,
the Rebels took a four-point lead at the 12:19 mark of the first period. The
Gators then went on a 4-0 run to knot up the score at 18-18 with 10:40
remaining. Bonds and Moss each contributed two points on the Florida
run.
Following
a 6-2 stretch, the visiting Rebels retook the lead, 24-20, with 9:29 remaining.
Miller converted a three-point play to trim the Ole Miss advantage to one
point. That would be the closest the Gators would get for the remainder of the
half.
Over the
final nine minutes of play, Ole Miss would outscore the host-Gators 26-16 to
take a 50-39 advantage heading into the locker room. The Rebels’ 50 points at
halftime were the most points allowed by Florida in the first half of play so
far this season.
In
addition to great three-point shooting, the visitors made more than half of
their shots (51.5%) in the first half. UF was 15-for-44 (34.1%) from the field
in the first half; which was a slight improvement from their last game, but not
enough to keep up with the Rebels.
The
final half of play started off much like the previous one with the two teams
exchanging baskets in the first few minutes of the period. Ole Miss recaptured
some of the same momentum it had in the first half, going on a 9-4 run to take
a 65-51 advantage with 15:01 left in regulation.
The
score difference the fluctuated between 10 and 12 points for the next three
minutes
Bonds
was whistled for her fourth personal foul with 11:08 left in the contest,
having to head to the bench with 13 points and five rebounds.
McCray
nailed an eight-footer and increased UM’s lead to 12 points, as Florida missed
a shot on its next possession, but Miller came up with a steal and dribbled the
length of the court where she made the layup but missed the and-one free throw
so UF remained 10 points down.
Miller
recovered on defense from the miss and came away with another steal and nailed
the 8-foot pull-up jumper that had Florida within eight points, 68-60, with
9:03 remaining.
Miller
came up with her third straight steal and while she missed the tough layup, Christin
Mercer collected the offensive board and found Carlie Needles open
on the left side of arc where she knocked down her second three-pointer of the
game and had Florida within five points, 68-63, with 8:35 remaining, and Ole
Miss called a timeout.
Ole
Miss quickly regrouped and Tia Faleru knocked down the team’s 11th
three-pointer at the 8:24 mark.
Florida
turned the ball over on its next possession, but Moss came up with a steal and
found Lewis streaking down the court, as Lewis sank the layup and tied her
career-high of 18 points, bringing Florida back within five points, 76-71, with
7:54 remaining.
After
one UM free throw, Bonds hit one for UF. She missed her second attempt, but
George was there to collect the miss and putback the offensive board and UF
inched closer, down four, with 5:25 on the clock.
Ole
Miss scored the next four points, but Florida answered with a bucket from
George and three points from Lewis and Florida was back within three points
with 3:30 remaining.
The
Gators had a chance to get even closer, but Bonds’ jumper wouldn’t fall and
although Miller came up with the miss she turned the ball over and McFarland
converted the layup for the 78-73 lead with 2:58 on the clock.
The
Gators then missed their next shot and Ole Miss collected the rebound and was
fouled and made both free throws for the 80-73 lead with 2:38 remaining.
Moss
was fouled driving the lane and made both free throws, pulling UF within five
points, 80-75, with 2:26 on the clock.
Moore
attempted a shot and was blocked by Moss. Needles came up with the loose ball,
but the Gators couldn’t convert on the other end and the Rebels took control.
George
also came up with a block and Moss corralled the loose ball, but McCray quickly
stole it and Ole Miss called a timeout with 1:20 remaining.
The
Rebels then worked an inbounds play to perfection, as McFarland converted an
easy layup and gave UM the 82-75 lead with 1:17 left.
Bonds
missed a layup in traffic on the other end and UM corralled the miss. McFarland
made one free throw at the 1:06 mark.
Moss
came back with a 6-foot jumper with exactly one minute remaining and Florida
down 83-77.
Faleru
then converted an 8-footer as the shot clock expired, giving Ole Miss the 85-77
lead with 34 seconds left.
Florida
put up a quick shot and Bonds collected the miss and put it back in to cut the
deficit to six points, 86-79, with 27.3 seconds remaining and the Gators called
their final timeout.
The
Gators fouled McCray, who made both free throws for an 87-81 lead and tried for
a desperation three-pointer, but none would fall.
Lewis
stole the ball on an inbounds and converted a layup and then McCray turned the
ball over giving the Gators possession. Miller was fouled attempting a
three-pointer and went to the line, but missed all three with 14 seconds
remaining.
Florida
was forced to foul again and Jackson iced the game at the line where she made
one more to end the game’s scoring.
The
Gators now enter a five-game stretch where four of them are on the road,
beginning on Sunday when Florida plays at No. 14 Georgia (16-3, 4-2 SEC) which
enjoyed a bye on Thursday. Tip-off from Stegeman Coliseum is set for 1 p.m. and
will be televised live by LIVE CSS (COX Sports/Charter Sports Southeast, Cox
Ch. 259 in Gainesville), as well as on CSN California, CSN Houston, The Comcast
Network, CST and BHSN.
The
game also can be watched on the internet thru www.espn3.com,
while the radio broadcast can be heard in Gainesville on 99.5FM and thru www.Gatorzone.com, the official website of
the Florida Gators.
POSTGAME
NOTES:
*All six
of UF’s SEC games have been decided by eight points or less
* Senior
Jennifer George returned to action after missing the end of the Tennessee game
and all of the matchup against South Carolina. George finished with six points,
five rebounds and four blocks.
*
Freshman Sydney Moss started her first game since the Arizona State game on
November 25.
* Coming
into the game, both teams were aiming to put an end to current losing streaks.
The host Gators had dropped its past two contests, while the visiting Rebels
had lost their last five.
*
Tonight’s starting lineup marked the eighth different lineup for the Gators
this season.
*
Junior Jattera Bonds made her 53rd-consecutive start, the 66th of career
*
Freshman January Miller's bucket and added free throw at the 9:19 mark of the
first half was the second three-point play of her career.
*
The 50 points for Ole Miss in the first half was the most UF has given up in
the first half this season since giving up 49 at Florida State.
*
Ole Miss's 11 three-pointers are its most this year and the most by a Gator
opponent this year. The previous high was nine by Kentucky and Troy.
*
Redshirt sophomore Kayla Lewis's 23 points in the game was a new career-high. Her
previous best was 18 against Central Michigan in the championship game of the
Gator Holiday Classic.
