The University of Florida women's basketball team committed 33 turnovers en route to a 71-60 loss to Houston in the first round of the GlaxoSmithKline Invitational played at Reynold's Coliseum on the campus of N.C. State.
Florida (5-2) faces N.C. State (2-4) in the consolation game on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Wolfpack lost to Washington, 88-78, behind a barrage of 15 Husky three-pointers. Houston plays the Huskies for the tournament title at 7 p.m.
Houston's Chandi Jones scored a game-high 31 points, as the Cougars shot 60.7 percent (24-of-64) in the second half, after hitting just 19.4 percent in the opening 20 minutes, and recorded 26 steals in the win, despite being outrebounded by the Gators 55-34.
UF freshman Sarah Lowe led the Gators with 24 points and eight rebounds, while fellow rookie Bernice Mosby tallied 19 points with nine rebounds. Freshman Dalila Eshe added eight points with a game-high 11 rebounds. Florida shot just 34.3 percent during the game and hit 11-of-18 free throws.
After woeful shooting by both teams in the first half, Sarah Lowe nailed a 3-pointer on the Gator's opening possession to extend their 24-21 halftime lead to six points. Bernice Mosby followed with a three-point play to give UF a nine-point advantage, 32-23, with 16:34 on the clock. After the teams traded baskets, Houston went on a quick 13-5 run with nine from Chandi Jones to close within one, 37-36, with 13:20 to go in the game. Following a pair of free throws from Brittany Davis, the Cougars exploded with an 11-2 run and increased their lead to eight, 49-41, over the Gators. After four straight points from UF, Jones nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to take 55-45 lead with just under six minutes remaining. Both teams continued trading baskets for the remainder of the game, as Houston emerged with the victory.
Baskets were tough to come by in the early minutes of the game, as the teams combined for 2-of-13 shooting from the field in the first four minutes of the game. The next four minutes weren't kind to either team, with UF hitting 4-of-14 and Houston netting just 1-of-15. The Gators committed nine turnovers and held an 18-to-6 advantage on the boards to that point but led just 8-4 with 11:21 on the clock. The half continued along at a similar pace, as UF led 24-21 at halftime by shooting 35.5 percent (11-31) and turning the ball over 18 times. The Cougars shot a painful 19.4 percent (7-36) but managed 13 steals. UF held a 32-17 rebounding advantage in the opening 20 minutes.
For the first time in 53 games, UF's Vanessa Hayden did not block a shot in a game. The 6-4 center ended the game scoring just three points and grabbing seven rebounds.
On their second road trip of the season, the young Gators continued to fight adversity. The team felt the effects of the winter storm that blitz the state of North Carolina on Thursday. The hotel Florida planned to stay in Thursday evening did not have electricity, so the squad opted to remain in warmer Gainesville for the night and travel to Raleigh on Friday morning. The Gators bused directly from the airport to the Reynold's Coliseum for shootaround and then ate lunch at a local restaurant before heading to the hotel, which still did not have electricity. After several hours of phone calls, UF's administrative assistant Melissa Maines located a different hotel that had electricity, hot water and could accommodate the Gator's large traveling party.
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