Gators Host Saint Louis on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Thursday, December 20, 2007 | Women's Basketball
The University of Florida women's basketball team plays host to Saint Louis on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. in the O'Connell Center.
Game Day Gator Tales
The Gators are taking the court for the first time since Sunday's hard-fought 80-76 overtime victory against TCU.
Saturday's affair marks Florida's first game in six days ... and only its second game in the last 18 days!
After playing five games during an 11-day span, Florida took the entire week of December 10th off from competition, taking a much-needed break for final exams which began December 8th and ran through December 14th. The Gators defeated Florida Gulf Coast on December 4th and didn't play again until the overtime victory against TCU on December 16th.
While the Gators (6-4) have had plenty of time to rest and practice, the Billikens (4-7) are playing their third game in seven days, most recently a 67-55 victory over Canisius on Wednesday, December 19th.
Individual Milestone Alert!!
Junior Sha Brooks enters Saturday's game with 997 career points ... needing three more to become the 19th different Gator to reach the 1,000-point milestone. During her 71-game career, Brooks has scored at least 3 points 67 times.
Entering Saturday's game, Brooks has scored 646 points from field goals inside the three-point arc, 384 points from outside the 3-point arc and 223 points from the free throw line.
The Gator junior already sits third in UF's all-time career record book for three-pointers, hitting 128 during her tenure. Brooks also is one of the most consistent free throw shooters in the 34-year history of the program, nailing 78.5 percent (223-284) during her career, a percentage that sits as the fifth-best in Gator history.
Should she eclipse the 1,000-point mark on Saturday (or in the next four games), Brooks would be the seventh-fast Gator to hit the milestone.
Scouting Saint Louis
The Billikens have earned their flying wings during the non-conference portion of their schedule. Saturday is SLU's 12th game and their eighth on the road, as the team begins its second five-game road trip of the 2007-08 campaign.
Each of the team's first five losses have been either an overtime decision or a loss of four or fewer points. In addition, each of those losses have been without of services of sophomore guard Theresa Lisch, who missed the opening eight games with an injury. Lisch was a preseason All-Atlantic 10 third-team selection who led SLU in scoring and assists last season. In her season debut against Missouri State on December 7th, Lisch led the Billikens with 17 points and nine rebounds en route to the 69-51 road victory. In three games this season, Lisch is averaging a team-best 15.3 points, hitting 33.3% (5-15) from the three-point arc, along with 6.3 rebounds.
Sophomore Katie Paganelli has been SLU's top scorer in Lisch's absence, contributing 14.1 points along with 4.0 rebounds per game.14.1
Fellow sophomore Amanda Kemezys has been the anchor inside, scoring 10.9 points per game, while collecting a team-best 8.5 rebounds and shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
First Timers
Saint Louis is one of six different teams Florida is playing this season for the first time in program history.
Robert Morris was the first of the first-timers on the Gator's 2007-08 schedule, as Florida earned a hard-fought 67-63 win over the Colonials on Nov. 12th.
Other series' debut results: Florida lost its series debut to Jacksonville, 75-64, on Nov. 28 ... defeated Prairie View A&M, 69-63, on November 20th ... defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 78-52, on Dec. 4th.
The only other new series will be either of Florida's possible second round opponents at the State Farm Classic Alabama A&M or UNC Asheville (Dec. 29).
UF vs. Atlantic 10 Conference Teams
Florida holds a 22-6 all-time record against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference, including the November 9 season-opening 82-71 win over Xavier.
Saint Louis is the second of three A-10 schools Florida is playing this season. The Gators also will face Temple on January 5th in Philadelphia.
Coach Butler vs. A-10 Teams
During her two seasons as head coach at UNC Charlotte, Amanda Butler posted an impressive 21-8 record against the 49ers' conference foes, including a stingy 12-2 record in home games.
Butler, along with current Gator staff members Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, David Lowery and Janna Magette, guided Charlotte to the 2006 Atlantic 10 regular-season title.
Butler sports a 4-0 all-time head coaching record against Saint Louis.
Who's Hot?
During the preseason, Florida's 'Big 3' were expected to produce big things ... and none has disappointed.
Depree Bowden, the lone senior on the 2007-08 squad, has picked up where she left off last season, contributing 14.1 points with 4.9 rebounds, along with 2.7 assists.
Junior Marshae Dotson has been the undersized work-horse in the paint again this season! The 5-11 forward has four double-doubles this year, with the most recent a 13 point-10 rebound performance at Louisville (Dec. 2). Dotson, who ranks tied-for-fourth in the SEC for rebounding, has been a key reason the Gators out-rebounded each of their first six opponents (overall eight times in 10 games).
She had one quiet game offensively where she did not score (vs. Robert Morris), but aside from that game, Sha Brooks has been a steady contributor, averaging 10.9 points. She played perhaps her most complete game against FGCU, contributing 10 points, seven rebounds and a career-high nine assists. Brooks, who has tallied at least 10 points in all except three games this year, scored a team-high 16 points against Stetson (Nov. 26), when she hit 10-for-10 from the free throw line to tie a program game record for highest percentage. Brooks sank a career-high 25 consecutive from the free throw this season, with her streak ending during the December 16th game vs. TCU.
Who Else is Hot?
First-year junior Aneika Henry used her 6-3 frame to her advantage against undersized FGCU, as she contributed a career- and game-high 17 points, hitting 8-for-8 from the field in the win. Henry followed that performance with a 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks - with a couple key defensive plays late - in the overtime victory against TCU (Dec. 16).
Sophomore Jennifer Mossor exploded for a career-high 17 points in the 80-76 overtime win against TCU on December 16th, tallying double-figures for the second time in her young career.
Game Day Information
What: Game 11: Florida hosts Saint Louis University
When: Saturday, December 22, 2007 * 1 p.m.
Where: Gainesville, Fla. * Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,000)
Radio: LIVE on WRUF AM850 in Gainesville - audio simulcast on Cox Channel 96 with Steve Babik & Steve Russell
Internet Audio: LIVE thru GatorZone.com (FREE of charge)
GatorVision Online: LIVE thru GatorZone.com
Television: none
Post-Game Satellite Feed: Time: 16:15-16:30 ET
Satellite: KU Band Digital Feed - Galaxy 11, Transponder 15K, Slot A
Downlink Freq.: 11986.5 Horizontal Symbol Rate: 3.9787
Data Rate: 5.5 FEC: 3/4 Truck Trouble #: 352- 392- 8043
Tickets: Reserved Seating - $5.00; General Admission - $4 Adults & $2 youth age 17 & under; UF Students are FREE
END OF REPORT
