Florida made more field goals, more three-pointers and outrebounded Tennessee 37-33, but the difference came at the free throw line where the third-ranked Lady Vols hit 32-of-38 to escape with a 88-79 decision over the Gators in front of 12,773 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Vanessa Hayden's 19 points led UF, who shot 44.4 percent (28-63) from the floor and 18-of-23 from the free throw line during the game. Tashia Morehead added 18 points with eight rebounds, while Sarah Lowe contributed a season-high 18 points with seven rebounds. Bernice Mosby tallied 11 points with eight rebounds off the bench for the Gators (16-8, 6-5 SEC), who lost their third consecutive game.
The Gators next play host to Arkansas on Sunday in the O'Connell Center beginning at 3 p.m.
Tennessee (22-2, 11-0 SEC) shot 30 of its free throws in the second half, when the Vols also shot 57.7 percent (15-26) from the floor. Shanna Zolman scored a game-high 23 points for UT, hitting all eight of her attempts from the charity stripe. Tahsa Butts added 18, including nine points from the stripe, while Shyra Ely also netted 18 points.
"It's unfortunate that the score total determined who won this game because our Florida Gator team played extremely well, good enough to have won," UF head coach Carolyn Peck said. "The stat category you have to look at and the only thing I can comment on without getting in trouble is the free throws in the second half. We shot 11 free throws in the second half and they shot 30. That's all I can say about that."
Florida held a 33-30 halftime lead, but Hayden picked up two quick fouls and went to the bench with 19 minutes remaining in the game after drawing three personals, as UF held a 33-32 lead. Tishona Gregory then canned a tough fall-away jumper from the side, but UT followed with the next three points to tied the game with 18:06 left in the game.
Tashia Morehead and Brittany Davis scored the next four points of the game to give UF a 39-35 lead with 17:21 remaining. Shyra Ely hit for UT next, but Bernice Mosby answered right back for the Gators who then led 41-37 with 16:53 left.
Unfortunately for the Gators, that was the last time they would score for the next 2:47, when Tennessee ripped off a 14-0 run, giving the Vols a 51-41 lead. During that spell, Hayden picked up her fourth personal foul and returned to the bench with 14:18 on the clock.
The Gators didn't fold after that quick run by the Vols, and regrouped to stage a balanced 14-5 run to get within one point, 56-55, with 11:14 remaining. Morehead capped the run with a brilliant baseline drive where she converted the bucket and drew the foul. Morehead left with an injury and Tishona Gregory came in to make the free throw. Morehead immediately returned to the game.
Zoleman nailed a three-pointer and Sidney Spencer hit an 8-footer to extend UT's lead back to six, 61-55, with 10:28 to go. But Sarah Lowe and Bernice Mosby each canned three-pointers between a Vol free throw to again get within one, 62-61, with 9:34 on the clock. UT again rallied with a 6-1 run to take a 68-62 lead with 7:20 remaining. After the teams traded scores, Morehead drove for another bucket and Hayden powered her way to a short jumper in the paint to bring UF within two, 70-68, with 5:13 remaining.
The Lady Vols returned by scoring the next two field goals of the contest, before Hayden nailed two free throws and Lowe hit a driving layup that again brought the Gators within two, 74-72, with 3:05 left in the game. Tasha Butts hit two free throws for UT, but Mosby canned a jumper to keep the score within two points with 2:30 on the clock. Butts hit again from the field and Zolman followed with two free throws to extend the deficit back to six, 80-74, with 1:39. Lowe nailed a jumper with 1:22, but the Gators picked up a touch foul and the Vols made them pay from the charity stripe and UF just couldn't quite make up the difference before the clock ran out.
Tennessee scored the first two field goals of the game, but the Gators finally settled down and produced a 15-2 run with scoring from Tashia Morehead, Danielle Santos, Vanessa Hayden and Bernice Mosby to take a 15-6 lead with 12:47 remaining in the opening period. After the teams traded buckets, Florida went cold from the field and the Lady Vols capitalized using a drawn out 12-2 run over the next 7:41 to retake the lead, 21-19, with 4:39 left.
However, Mosby and Sarah Lowe ended UF's 6:28 scoring drought with back-to-back buckets returning the lead to the Gator's favor. UF had a defensive breakdown on its next possession and allowed five straight Tennessee offensive rebounds that Shyra Ely finally converted with a 6-footer jumper. But the Gators refused to fold and Hayden nailed a pair of free throws and Morehead put back an offensive rebound off a Hayden miss to a 27-23 lead with 2:01 on the clock. UF turned the ball over and Ely connected on a short jumper off the pick to close the gap.
Hayden came right back with a giant right-handed hook shot, but Shanna Zolman canned UT's first three-pointer of the period to cut UF's lead to one, 29-28, with 1:19 remaining. Hayden hit another free throw before Lowe popped a deep three-pointer to give the Gators a 33-28 advantage with 25 seconds left in the half. Zolman ended the first-half scoring with two free throws with eight seconds remaining, as UF took a 33-30 lead into the halftime locker room.
Hayden led all scorers with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, as the Gators shot 40.7 percent (11-27) from the floor, but committed 10 turnovers. Ely guided UT with 10 points in the opening half, when the Vols hit 33.3 percent (11-33).
END OF REPORT
