Sophomore forward Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) scored 13 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, but it was not enough to prevent the University of Florida women's basketball team from dropping a 77-54 decision to 14th-ranked Georgia on Sunday at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Dotson came out the break with a hot hand, scoring Florida's first 11 points of the second half, pulling the Gators (6-16, 0-7 SEC) within six, 44-38, with just over 15 minutes remaining in regulation. A layup by freshman Sharielle Smith (Bradenton, Fla.) cut the deficit to 49-45 at the 12:32 mark of the second half, and Dotson kept UF within four with a layup of her own at the 9:30 mark. A 10-0 run for UGA (18-4, 5-2 SEC) in the ensuing minutes stretched its lead to 63-49 before senior guard Kim Dye (Fayetteville, Tenn.) drilled a shot from long distance to snap the streak and bring the Gators to within 11 points. UF, however, would get no closer, as the Lady Bulldogs finished the game on a 14-2 run to take the 77-54 win.
“For about 75 percent of the game, our team did a pretty good job,” Florida head coach Carolyn Peck said. “We had some crucial turnovers, and Georgia is a good enough team to capitalize on those. We actually out-rebounded Georgia (38-36). We bounced back after the South Carolina game and got back into the fight, which are things that were pleasing to me.”
Dotson's 20 points, her fifth 20-point effort in UF's last nine outings, came in addition to six rebounds and three steals. Junior guard Depree Bowden (Palmetto, Fla.) chipped in 12 points and 13 rebounds to collect the fifth double-double of her season and career; her 13 rebounds marked her fifth career game with a double-digit rebounding total and were just two away from her career high. Bowden also distributed a team-high three assists in the contest.
“We were confident throughout the game because we know our ability to play hard,” Dotson said. “We knew that we just had to play well to come out with the win. We came up a little short, but that happens sometimes. We just have to keep battling.”
Florida shot just 32.1 percent (17-53) in the game, including a 4-of-20 effort from the three-point arc, while Georgia sank 46.9 percent, including a 58.6 percent mark in the second half. The Lady Bulldogs also capitalized off of 23 Gator turnovers, converting them into 32 points.
Junior forward Tasha Humphrey led Georgia in both scoring and rebounding with 19 points and nine boards. Freshman guard Ashley Houts added 16 points and four assists for the Bulldogs, while junior forward Megan Darrah led all players with six assists.
“Florida played with a lot of heart and grit throughout the game,” Georgia head coach Andy Landers said. “Their defensive strategy was solid, and frustrated us in the first half. We defended well, too. We didn't get frustrated to the point where we didn't defend well. They have some mismatches in terms of speed and quickness, but our defense stayed strong.”
The Gators jumped out to an early 6-0 lead by way of a 3-point field goal from Dye and a 3-point play by Bowden. After an 11-4 Georgia run resulted in a one-point UF deficit with 12 minutes left in the opening frame, Dotson connected on a free throw to tie the score, and Bowden drilled a shot from well beyond the arc to give Florida a 14-11 lead at the second media timeout. Bowden was just one rebound shy of her double-double in the first half, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine boards in the opening frame for Florida, who headed to the locker room trailing by nine points, 36-27, after Georgia closed out the half on a 25-13 run.
The Gators will return to action on Thursday night when they play host to Ole Miss (16-6, 5-2 SEC) at 7 p.m. EST. The radio broadcast of the game can be heard live in Gainesville on WRUF 850AM and through the internet at www.GatorZone.com.
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