Florida senior Depree Bowden (Palmetto, Fla.) scored a game-high 23 points as the Gators used a solid defensive effort and team play in their 69-63 victory over Prairie View A&M on Tuesday evening at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
In a tough defensive battle, the teams scrapped for possessions and momentum, combining for 53 turnovers, 25 steals and seven blocks, but it was Bowden's leadership and team defense that helped the Gators (3-1) earn the hard-fought victory.
“There were two reasons why we won the game,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “The first one was defense. We had to play tough, stingy, solid defense. Lonnika Thompson had some huge plays for us and we came up with the loose balls in the second half. The other was because of Depree Bowden's consistency. Every time she had the ball in her hands, we knew something good was going to happen.”
Bowden shot 9-of-17 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while junior Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) earned her second double-double of the season and the ninth of her career, tallying 15 points, to go along with 11 rebounds. Dotson also dished out a career-high six assists, leading all players on the floor. Junior Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) chipped in 10 points, including two clutch free throws with eight seconds remaining that gave the Gators a 67-63 lead.
PVAMU's (1-4) leading contributor was sophomore Candice Thomas, scoring 21, while sophomore Gaati Werema tallied 18 points. Thomas scored 10 of the Lady Panthers' first 15 points.
After trading short runs for most of the second half, the Gators jumped to their largest lead of the contest, 63-54, thanks to an 11-0 run with 3:05 left in the game.
PVAMU quickly cut the deficit to four points, 63-59, after a three-pointer from senior Shavonne Smith at the 1:55 mark. A jumper at the top of the key from Werema placed the Panthers within two points, 65-63, with only 9.2 seconds remaining. The Gators, however, would not relinquish the lead, as Brooks and Lonnika Thompson (New Orleans) each hit a pair of free throws to secure the victory. Thompson trip to the line came after she stole the ball from Werema with eight seconds remaining and the Gators holding a four-point lead.
“A win is a win as they say,” Butler added. “It wasn't pretty but we're going to win ball games that aren't pretty. We've got a do a better job of protecting the basketball. When you play the way we played down the stretch, you've got to take the win, learn from mistakes and move on.”
The Lady Panthers jumped on the Gators early, making the first three baskets of the contest. The two teams would exchange buckets until PVAMU would cap off a 6-0 run at the 10:22 mark in the first half.
Florida would answer with a 12-3 run of its own, sparked by a three-pointer from Bowden, earning its first lead of the contest, 27-24, with 2:49 left in the first half. PVAMU would get a jump shot from freshman Dominique Smith to fall with 18 seconds left in the half to take the teams in locker rooms, knotted, 31-31.
Bowden scored 15 of her 23 points in the opening frame, hitting 5-of-11.
Florida returns to action on Friday, November 23, hosting in-state rival and 20th-ranked Florida State (4-1) at 5:30 p.m. ET in the opening game of a doubleheader involving both schools' basketball programs. The game will be televised live on FSN Florida, while streaming audio of the game can be heard in Gainesville on WRUF 850AM and through on the official website of the Florida Gators, www.GatorZone.com.
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