The No. 9-ranked University of Florida women's basketball team limped into Tad Smith Coliseum with only seven scholarship players available for action against Mississippi yet gutted out a 71-65 victory over the Lady Rebels Thursday evening.
Florida played without All-America candidate Brandi McCain, who did not suit up for tonight's game because of a recent flair-up of chronic plantar fascitis in her right foot. McCain leads the Lady Gators with a 19.8 points per game average, which ranks fourth in the SEC and 26th nationally. The 5-foot-3 guard also leads the SEC in free throw percentage and 3-point field goals made per game and ranks second for steals and seventh for assists.
The Lady Gators dressed a total of nine players, including two walk-ons, for tonight's game, while the Lady Rebels had 15 ready for action.
Senior Tombi Bell stepped up with a career-high 26 points, while grabbing eight rebounds with four assists in 40 minutes of action. Junior Monique Cardenas also contributed a career-high performance with 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Freshman Vanessa Hayden had a huge game with 14 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and three assists in 19 minutes.
"I'm as proud of this team after tonight's performance as I have been all season," UF head coach Carol Ross said. "Our players have been tough all season and just seem to find a way to win, that's nothing new for us. To be without Brandi McCain was new to us this season, but we had players step up and found a way to win."
Florida improved its overall record to 21-3 this season, including a 9-2 ledger in conference play, while the Lady Rebels dropped to 15-9 overall, 3-8 in league games.
Florida's nine conference wins ties the program record for the second most number of league victories. The 1997 squad went 9-3 and finished tied for third in the SEC, while the 1998 team posted a 10-4 record and ended the regular season tied for second in the conference standings - the team's highest finish.
Tombi Bell converted a three-point play to open the second half giving UF a 44-32 lead. But Ole Miss countered with a 7-0 run to pull within five, 44-39. Monique Cardenas stopped the run by putting back an offensive rebound. The teams traded baskets over the next two minutes until Bell added four more points giving Florida a nine-point lead (52-43) with 12:52 remaining. The Lady Rebels staged a 7-1 run capped by a 3-pointer from Becky Myatt. Cardenas added a bucket, but Saundra Jackson completed a three-point play as UF's lead shrunk to two, 55-53, with 9:43 remaining.
Foul trouble began hounding the Lady Gators at that point, as Tamara Stocks picked up her fourth foul with 12:21 remaining in the game and Hayden collected her fourth with 9:43 to go. Stocks then fouled out with 7:34 remaining.
Florida regrouped at the free throw line, where it scored its next five points to give the Lady Gators a 60-53 lead with 6:59 remaining. Tombi Bell then was whistled for her fourth personal foul at the 6:17 mark and UF's depth really became a factor.
Ole Miss scored the next three points of the game to close within four, but Cardenas countered for Florida by scoring the Lady Gator's next six points during a 6-1 run as UF built its lead back to nine (66-57) with 3:53 remaining. The Lady Rebels refused to quit and Saundra Jackson completed a three-point play to cut UF's lead to six with 2:14 on the clock.
Florida led 68-62 with under one minute to play as Tywanna Inmon hit a 3- pointer from the left wing to bring Ole Miss within three, 68-65. Misty Knight was fouled immediately on the in-bounds play but missed both free throws. However Vanessa Hayden grabbed the offensive rebound off the second miss and threw the ball to Naomi Mobley, who was fouled quickly. Mobley went to the line and connected on both attempts with 14.1 seconds remaining to give Florida a 70-65 lead.
The Lady Rebels pushed the ball up the floor, but Vanessa Hayden recorded her fifth block of the game and then collected the swat. She was fouled and made one of two free throws to end the game's scoring.
Florida shot 65.7 percent from the free throw line, hitting 23-of-35 during the game. The Lady Gators shot 46.0 percent from the floor, while holding Ole Miss to a 33.3 percent shooting mark. The Lady Rebels held the rebounding advantage 45-42.
The first half was extremely close, with both teams grabbing small, short- lived leads. Florida led 26-22 with 5:09 remaining in the opening period when UF's Vanessa Hayden hit a one-handed jumper in the paint to spark a 6- 0 lead and give the Lady Gators a 32-22 advantage. Ole Miss fought back with the help of a three-pointer from Tywanna Inmon, who later followed with a layup. Inmon's efforts brought the Lady Rebels within five points (37-32), but Florida closed the half with a pair of free throws from Tamara Stocks and a driving layup by Tombi Bell to take a 41-32 lead into the locker room.
Bell scored 13 points in the first half, while Hayden added 12 points with four rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 11 minutes of action. Florida shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the first half, while holding the Lady Rebels to a 38.7 percent effort.
Florida returns to the court on Sunday, February 18, when the Lady Gators play host to Mississippi State. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
