The University of Florida women's basketball team won its 44th consecutive game against instate rivals, but the victory was anything but easy. The Gators needed a huge second half from senior All-American Vanessa Hayden to emerge with a hard-fought 70-55 win versus South Florida in front of 1,205 at the Sun Dome.
Hayden scored 16 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, while grabbing 15 rebounds with five blocks carrying the Gators (3-1) to their 13th consecutive victory over USF (3-3).
"The big difference tonight was Vanessa Hayden," UF head coach Carolyn Peck said. "She was playing like a senior with a sense of urgency and took over in the second half. She's been a very good leader for this team from the very start of the year."
With the Gators leading 53-50 and 7:15 remaining, UF closed the game on a 17-5 run to secure the victory. The Gators shot 57.1 percent (28-49) from the floor, including 68 percent (17-25) in the second half to offset 25 turnovers. USF managed to hit only 24.2 percent (16-66) during the game, including a woeful 19.4 percent (6-31) in the second half. While UF won the rebounding battle with a 46-44 edge, the Bulls snared 24 on the offensive end which translated into 17 more shot attempts than the Gators.
"I have to give South Florida a lot of credit," Peck said. "They play extremely hard and fight for every loose ball. We had a shaky first half, but came out with great contributions from our bench."
Tashia Morehead was the only other Gator who scored in double-figures, as she netted 15 points, but UF received vital contributions from several other players. Sarah Lowe came off the bench and scored all of her eight points late in the second half, while Danielle Santos tallied all of her seven points during the final frame, as well.
With USF holding a 36-35 advantage with 15:40 remaining in the game, the Gators exploded on a 14-2 run to take a 49-38 lead with 10:58 left on the clock with scoring from Hayden, Sarah Lowe and Danielle Santos. But the Bulls stormed back as UF got sloppy with the ball, ripping off a 8-0 spree of their own to close within three, 49-46. The teams traded buckets for the next few minutes until the Gators held the 53-50 advantage before staging their game-deciding run.
It was a sluggish first half by both teams, as UF committed 12 turnovers and allowed 12 offensive rebounds, which USF turned into 11 more field goal attempts than the Gators. Fortunately for UF, the Bulls couldn't convert those additional shots, hitting just 28.6 percent (10-35) from the floor, while the Gators knocked down 45.8 percent (11-24).
The scored was tied six times in the opening 20 minutes, including the halftime mark of 27-all. UF never quiet got on track offensively and managed just a one-point lead twice during the first half, while USF led by as many as five points (18-13) midway through the period.
The Gators next aim to continue their instate streak on Saturday, December 5 when UF travels to Tallahassee to play Florida State. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. in the Leon County Civic Center.
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