Sophomore Vanessa Hayden (Orlando, FL) tallied her seventh double-double of the season and tied a school record with eight blocks as she pounded South Florida for 30 points and 13 rebounds leading No. 20 Florida to a 90-66 victory over the Bulls at the Sun Dome.
UF's Quientella Bonner blocked a school-record eight shots against Alabama back on January 11, 1979.
Freshman Tara Taylor (Huntsville, AL) scored a career-high 21 points, while senior Brandi McCain (Silsbee, TX) contributed 15 points in the win.
Florida (6-3) dominated USF on boards, enjoying a 63-31 rebounding advantage. Individually, three Lady Gators snared double-figure rebounds, with Courtney Cooper (Miami, FL) collecting 15, Monique Cardenas (Keystone Heights, FL) 13, along with Hayden's 13.
"I was very please with how well we rebounded the basketball," UF head coach Carol Ross said. "Defensively we were very stingy, especially considering how well they had been shooting the ball from the perimeter. This was a good win against a team that was undefeated and had a lot of confidence."
The game started in a frenzied pace, with the teams trading baskets for the first seven and a half minutes, as USF took a 16-15 lead. But Florida used a 14-3 run over the next five minutes with scoring from five different players to take a 31-19 lead at the 9:02 mark of the opening period.
Florida enjoyed a huge rebounding advantage in the first half, holding a 35-15 edge on the boards. Courtney Cooper collected a team-high nine in the first 20 minutes, while both Vanessa Hayden and Monique Cardenas each gathered eight. Hayden also tallied 16 first-half points along with five blocks, while Brandi McCain scored 11.
USF shot just 34.3 percent (12-of-35) in the opening half, including a 26.3 percent (5-of19) mark from the 3-point line. UF hit 40.0 percent (16-of-40) from the floor, but committed 15 turnovers.
Hayden scored the first four points of the second half to extend UF's 12-point halftime lead to 47-31. But South Florida (7-1) rallied behind its potent long-range shot, which was off the mark in the first half, and closed the gap to eight points (47-39). After calling a timeout, the Lady Gators went on a game-breaking 14-0 run sparked by a three-point play from Tara Taylor, who tallied 10 points during the spree, to take a commanding 61-39 lead with just over 14 minutes remaining.
The Florida victory denied South Florida a program-record eighth straight win to open its season.
With Saturday's 90-66 win at South Florida, the Lady Gators extended their winning streak against instate opponents to 39. The game was the second and final contest scheduled by UF against Sunshine State teams. Florida topped Florida State 78-74 in overtime back on November 29 in Tallahassee.
In 11-plus seasons under Coach Carol Ross, the Lady Gators have posted a 52-4 record against other teams from the state of Florida. Florida Atlantic was the last team from the Sunshine State to defeat the Lady Gators, claiming the 84-63 win on Feb. 16, 1993.
Tonight's game was Florida's final in a brutal seven-game road stretch, where the Lady Gators went 4-3. The team now returns to Gainesville for final exams, which run through Friday, Dec. 14, before hitting the court again on Tues., Dec. 18, when the Lady Gators play host to Elon University. The game is Florida's first home appearance since November 20th – 32 days ago.
END OF REPORT
