Despite double-figure scoring efforts by seniors Sarah Lowe (Wynnewood, Pa.) and Brittany Davis (Gainesville, Fla.), the Florida women's basketball team fell to South Carolina in Southeastern Conference action 81-63 Sunday afternoon at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
The Gators (18-6, 6-5 SEC) used a 15-3 run midway through the second half to take a 52-49 lead with 9:11 remaining. However, South Carolina (13-9, 4-6 SEC) outscored Florida 32-11 the rest of the way en route to a program-record third consecutive SEC road win. Head coach Carolyn Peck noted her team's lack of aggressiveness in the loss as a flaw against South Carolina.
“They were a very aggressive team and it was a very physical game,” Peck said. “I didn't feel like we weren't responsive to that. We have to play a little stronger. Mentally we thought we were in it, but physically I don't think we were there as well as we should have been.”
South Carolina outscored the Gators 40-30 in the paint and took advantage of 21 Florida turnovers to net 26 points. The Gamecocks also out-rebounded Florida 43-33 and made 51.7 percent of their shots from the field, compared to UF's 40.3 percent mark.
"Rebounding is so important and it's a key in winning games in the SEC," Peck said. "South Carolina did a much better job of that today. We knew going in that South Carolina was a big team. We were at a size disadvantage and we did not do a good job of keeping them off the boards."
Davis led Florida with 12 points, including one shot from behind the three-point line, while grabbing six boards and with four assists. Lowe added 11 for the home team in her fourth double-figure scoring effort of the season, in addition to five rebounds, four steals and two assists. Freshman Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) came off the bench for UF to chip in nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.
Freshman Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) as well as seniors Dalila Eshe (Tallahassee, Fla.) and Danielle Santos (Marietta, Ga.) netted eight points apiece for Florida, as Brooks also had five steals. Santos added five rebounds and three assists, while Eshe chipped in four rebounds and one assist. She also extended her school-record free throws made streak to 39 before missing the front end of a one-and-one with 9:19 left in the game.
In the first half the Gators jumped out to a 7-2 lead by the 17:25 mark, but South Carolina fired back, tying up the score at 10-all as the clock ticked 14:26. The two teams traded baskets for the next several minutes of the game, which was tied up four times as the lead changed eight times in the first half. Brooks sank a three-pointer which broke up a 20-point lock with 8:10 remaining. After breaking tied up scores twice more, the Gators went to the locker room at the half down 35-31, the 12th time this season they've trailed at the break.
The Gamecocks forced Florida to play from behind for most of the second half, with the Gators holding the lead for just one minute and 17 seconds before USC began to take over with its game-deciding run.
Melanie Johnson paced South Carolina with a career-high 27 points and also grabbed 10 rebounds. Demetress Adams added 18 points with nine rebounds, while Lauren Simms tallied 14 points, including a pair of back-breaking three-pointers that gave the Gamecocks the lead for good after Lowe's jumper had cut the deficit to one, 55-54, with 7:29 remaining.
The Gators return to the court for their home finale Thursday Feb. 16 when the No. 4 LSU Lady Tigers visit the O'Connell Center. Tip-off for the SEC match-up is set for 7 p.m.
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