Gators Positively Push Past No. 12 Aggies

UF coach Amanda Butler and her team celebrates as her defense thwarts Texas A&M on its final possession of UF's 83-81 victory.

Gators Positively Push Past No. 12 Aggies

Thursday, February 4, 2016 | Women's Basketball, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- This is how the Florida Gators protected a two-point lead against the No. 12 team in the country Thursday night.

First, freshman guard Eleanna Christinaki tried to throw an entry pass over her defender, Texas A&M's Anriel Howard, who jumped and swiped the toss cleanly to give the visiting Aggies a shot to win the game.

They missed under duress from great UF defense.

All UF had to do was execute an inbound pass, get fouled and make free throws to put the game away. So Gators junior Simone Westbrook stood by the Florida bench and directed a lob pass toward teammate Dyandria Anderson cutting toward the UF goal that A&M's Courtney Williams intercepted with seven seconds to go to give the Aggies a chance to tie -- even win -- the game on the final possession.

They missed, again, under duress from great UF defense.

Florida escaped 83-81. Two absolutely ghastly turnovers in crunch time? No problem.

With that, the No. 22 Gators (19-4, 7-3) had not only dispatched of the Aggies (18-5, 6-4) for a second straight win over ranked opponent, but did it the hard way. Or as Coach Amanda Butler explained afterward, their usual way.

"One of the gifts with this team is our ability to play through mistakes and that's a credit to our leadership and our nature of being able to pick each other up," Butler said after putting the latest gold star on what is shaping up as a very solid NCAA Tournament resume, as well as pushing her team into second place in the Southeastern Conference standings. "I think they have this unshakeable belief in each other that we're going to make the next play."

It's a dangerous way to live, but this is a team that has won games with 36 turnovers (Alabama), while shooting 34 percent on the road (Arkansas), going 2-for-18 from the 3-point line (at Ole Miss) and, most recently (as in Thursday night), had junior forward Ronni Williams foul out with 2:37 to go in game. She became the first UF player since 2007 to score 20 points and grab 15 rebounds. Going unfazed through difficult phases has become a trend for this group.

And so has UF's mental toughness.

"There's no negative energy," Butler said.

Quite the opposite, actually, Hers is a team that starts every practice, every game, with the players huddling, arm and arm, and breaking the group with an in-unison chant.

POSITIVE ENERGY!

Even Butler admits it's kind of "kookie," but she also knows it works.

And away that energy flows.

Against the Aggies and facing a monster game from A&M guard Courtney Walker (31 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals), the Gators trailed by eight points with 5:41 to go in the third period, then went on a ridiculous run of offensive efficiency to end the period. Try 22 points to wrap the quarter. UF scored on all nine of its final possessions, a run that included four 3-balls, including a swished 30-footer by Westbrook at the buzzer that pushed Florida in front 65-60.

"The pace of play was fast," A&M coach Gary Blair said. "And it was a meltdown for us."

Make that 17 times the Gators have outscored their opponents in the third quarter.

"We knew we had to go on a run," Westbrook said. "They'd had theirs."

The Aggies would have another. Florida led by seven -- at 71-64 -- with six minutes to go, but lost it on a flurry from Walker that helped A&M retake the lead, 77-76, with just over three minutes to go. Four lead changes and a tie (at 79) later, the Gators took a two-point lead on a couple free throws from Christinaki, then increased the lead to four on a baseline floater from Westbrook with just over a minute remaining.

Another Walker jumper drew the Aggies within two. For the next 45 seconds, the adversity flowed.

In other words, the Gators had 'em right where they wanted 'em.

"They're a fantastic team," Butler said of the Aggies. "But I think this is another indication of how good our team is."

Positively.