The University of Florida women's basketball team played its best game of the season, but couldn't overcome a red-hot TCU squad, falling 83-72 Friday evening at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in front of a crowd of 2,359.
Depree Bowden posted her second career double-double, leading the Gators with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Marshae Dotson scored 19 points, one shy of her career-high, with seven rebounds and Sha Brooks added 14 points and tied her career-best of eight rebounds.
“Our three main scorers did a very good job tonight, UF head coach Carolyn Peck said. “Marshae Dotson had a huge presence inside. Depree Bowden played one heck of a ball game. Sha Brooks continued to attack and was very physical. We also got good minutes off the bench when some players got into foul trouble. Brittany Thomas hit some huge shots in the second half.”
“I thought we looked a lot better tonight,” Peck said. “The team was very focused and stayed with out game plan. We recognized what our rotations needed to be defensively. We attacked the basket offensively and hit some jumpers. I really liked the improvement we made since the Illinois game and I like a lot of different things I saw from the team. We're moving in the right direction.”
Florida (4-6), playing its third road game in the last eight days, now takes a 10-day break during the school's final exam period before playing its next game, when the Gators play host to Stetson on Monday, December 18 at 7 p.m. in the O'Connell Center. The radio broadcast of the game will air in Gainesville on WRUF AM850 and on the internet at www.GatorZone.com.
Helen Roden canned a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the second half to give TCU (5-3) a 37-26 lead. After the teams traded scores, Marshae Dotson hit a short jumper before LaToya Bullard and Kim Dye converted back-to-back three-point plays and Gators were back within one, 45-44, with 13:59 remaining.
UF's defense held on the next possession and its offense had the momentum with a chance to take the lead, but Brooks' pass inside to Bowden was just off the mark resulting in the Gator's 21st turnover of the game. TCU capitalized, halting UF's 8-0 run by scoring the next five points to lift its lead to six with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game.
Florida chipped away and reduced the deficit to three points twice, but TCU found a way to hit clutch shots of its own and kept the Gators at a distance, always seeming to answer a UF run with one of its own.
The Gators reduced an 11-point deficit with 5:49 remaining down to six points, 68-62, with just under three minutes left, but Adrianne Ross came out of a timeout with a back-breaking 3-pointer and TCU was able to match UF, going -for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute of the game to secure its fifth straight win.
Florida shot 47.2 percent (25-52) in the game, while hitting 18-of-24 from the free throw line, but missed a few clutch shots from the line late in the game. The Gators also ended the game with a 38-31 rebounding edge, but their 28 turnovers were too much to overcome, as the Frogs converted those into 23 points.
Adrianne Ross scored a game-high 22 points for TCU, while committed 16 turnovers and shot a steady 42.4 percent in its fifth straight home appearance.
Turnovers were the story of the first half, when the Gators committed a total of 18 miscues that the Frogs converted into 15 points en route to a 34-26 lead.
TCU jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the opening couple of minutes before Florida rallied with a 15-4 run in the next four-plus minutes to take a 17-10 advantage with 11:29 on the clock. Several of the Frogs 10 second-half turnovers came during this span, also during which forced a TCU turnover after Depree Bowden crashed the boards, collecting during one series three consecutive offensive rebounds, eventually getting fouled and sinking a pair of free throws.
TCU regrouped with a blistering 13-0 run, with Ashley Davis hitting two 3-pointers and Jenna Lohse adding another during the spree to give the hosts a 23-16 lead with 7:46 remaining. Kim Dye stopped the run with a trey from the left corner. After one TCU free throw, Briana Phillips powered up a short jumper in the paint and the Gators were within two, 24-22, with 6:49 left in the period.
That's when the Lady Frogs ripped off a 10-0 spree and assumed a 34-22 lead with 1:52 remaining. Florida refused to fold and scored the final four points of the half as Marshae Dotson converted a nice feed into the paint from Brittaney Thomas and Bowden banked in an 8-foot jumper.
Florida showed great improvement rebounding the ball, holding a 19-13 advantage in the first half, limiting TCU to just four on the offensive end. The Gators hit 39.1 percent from the floor. TCU converted 41.9 percent
END OF REPORT
