Florida Gators
USF (WNIT First Round)
Women's Hoops Ends Season with 61-56 Loss to USF in WNIT
Friday, March 18, 2005 | Women's Basketball
The University of Florida women's basketball team lost a tough 61-56 decision to South Florida in the first round of the Sportsview.tv WNIT played at the Sun Dome in front of 1,269.
Seniors Tashia Morehead and Tamia Williams along with sophomore Briana Phillips each scored 11 points for the Gators (14-15), who ended the season losing their final five games. The Bulls (21-10) snapped a 14-game drought against Florida, defeating the Gators for the first time since a 65-54 decision back on Dec. 5, 1987.
"This was a great game and a battle between two very good teams," UF head coach Carolyn Peck said. "South Florida was able to get shots to fall in the second half and we didn't. We had some turnovers, some crucial turnovers. I'm proud of our team because they did everything we asked them to do. All nine players in uniform busted their tails tonight."
Dalila Eshe hit a short turn-around with 8:46 remaining in the game to give Florida a 53-46 lead. But the Gators scored just three points the rest of the way, as USF ended the contest on a 15-3 run to earn the first postseason victory in program history.
Florida shot 42.3 percent (22-52) during the game, including a 37.5 percent clip in the second half, when USF outscored the Gators 35-25. The Bulls hit 44.4 percent in each half.
USF quickly cut UF's 31-26 halftime lead to one, but the Gators answered every Bulls bucket with one of their own to hold the lead and slowly build a seven point advantage, 46-39, with 11:46 remaining in the game. The teams continued to trade points for the next two minutes and with Florida holding a 53-46 lead, USF ripped off a 10-1 run during the next four-plus minutes to take a 56-54 lead with 4:40 remaining.
Tamia Williams ended Florida's field goal drought with a driving layup with 3:35 on the clock to tie the score, but Anedra Gilmore countered with one of her own to keep the Bulls in the lead. Neither team was able to score and the Gators grabbed a defensive rebound with under one minute remaining and called a timeout with 33 seconds on the clock to set up a play.
Tishona Gregory's floating jumper with 23 seconds rolled around the basket and fell out and USF snatched the miss and the Gators were forced to foul with 16 seconds remaining. Rachael Sheets made the first free throw, but missed the second and Tashia Morehead came up with rebound giving Florida had a chance to tie the game, down 59-56. However the Gators committed a backcourt violation on their ensuing possession and Anedra Gilmore sealed the game with two free throws with six seconds remaining to close the scoring.
Runs by both teams characterized the first half, as the Bulls struck early with a 6-0 spree that the Gators immediately matched. The teams then traded buckets for the next few minutes, before Briana Phillips sparked a 14-2 Florida run during which Tamia Williams tallied seven straight points to give the Gators a 24-12 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half.
The Bulls struck right back with a 12-2 run and closed within two points, 26-24, with 3:48 on the clock. However, the Gators ended the period on a 5-2 run to take a 31-26 halftime lead.
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