Florida Gators

Depree Bowden (Palmetto, Fla.) tied her season-high with 23 points and Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) collected her 1,000^th career point in Florida's 83-77 victory over Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon at the O'Connell Center.

The Gators (7-4), who suited up just eight scholarship players because of injuries and illnesses, enter the holiday break on a three-game win streak, the program's longest since the 2005-06 season.

“I am really proud of our effort today. We had a short bench and everyone stepped up and contributed in the win,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “All eight of our players who played scored and everyone was on the court for double-figure minutes. We've had two very good weeks of practice and it showed today. We had some key transition baskets late in the game, got some steals and conversions; and our conditioning and fitness was a big reason why.”

Florida also was clutch from the free throw line, hitting 12-of-14 in the final three minutes, including 6-of-8 in the final minute of the game to preserve the win, which moved the Gators to 7-1 at home this season.

Brooks became the 19^th Gator to score 1,000 points during her career, nailing a three-pointer from the right side of the arc that put her over the top of the milestone with five minutes remaining in the contest. Brooks missed her first eight shots from the floor and didn't score until a free throw with 5:24 remaining, but ended with 12 points as she canned 7-of-8 from the charity stripe while collecting four steals and dishing two assists. She eclipsed the mark in her 72^nd career game, the seventh fastest in program history.

Bowden had another complete performance in the win, adding seven rebounds, a career-tying six assists and four steals while converting 5-of-5 from the free throw line in her 23-point showing.

Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) joined Brooks and Bowden with a double-figure scoring effort, contributing 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists while battling foul trouble most of the game, picking up her fourth personal with 10:10 remaining. Dotson's fellow healthy post players, Aneika Henry (Coconut Grove, Fla.), who finished with eight points and five rebounds, and Sharielle Smith (Bradenton, Fla.), who tallied six points and six boards, also found themselves in foul trouble, which forced the Gators to look to 5-foot-7 Kim Critton (Memphis, Tenn.) to play the '4' position. Critton more than held her own in the paint, where she scored a season-high eight points with six rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

“Depree was huge for us in the first half and Kim Critton was equally as big for us in the second,” Butler said. “She's had a great week of practice and works so hard. Kim rose to the challenge of playing a position she doesn't practice and was solid for us.”

With Florida holding a 49-35 lead and just over 18 minutes remaining, Saint Louis (4-8) began to heat up offensively thanks to a career performance from sophomore Theresa Lisch, who tied the Billikens' game record with 35 points. Lisch scored eight points during a 16-4 run that cut the Gator lead to two, 53-51, with 12:31 left.

Dotson countered by scoring five points in Florida's 10-1 spree that returned its lead to double-figures, 63-52, with 9:14 on the clock, as Bowden and Lonnika Thompson (New Orleans) also contributed during the run.

SLU scored the next five points of the game and closed within seven at the 8:24 mark before both teams when cold from the floor. The next points scored were from Brooks, who hit one of two free throws with 5:24 left to bring her career point total to 998, before she followed with the trey 24 seconds later that pushed her over the 1,000-point plateau and return UF's lead to 11.

“I really haven't been motivated by scoring 1,000 points,” Brooks said. “My focus has been to do whatever our team needs me to do to win.”

In Saturday's game, the Gators needed Brooks' ability to drive and get to the free throw line where she hit 7-of-8 in the contest in the waning minutes.

The teams were whistled for a combined 49 fouls, as the Billikens hit 21-of-29 from the free throw line and Gators sank 20-of-28. The squads also combined for 46 turnovers, with Florida taking advantage by converting 25 SLU miscues into 40 points, while the Billikens managed 17 points off of Gator errors.

The first four and half minutes were tight, with both teams making mini runs before the other answered. With Florida leading, 11-10, Bowden's three-pointer from the left side of the arc sparked a 14-4 run over the next six-plus minutes, when the Gators built a 25-14 lead. Five different players contributed in the spree, with Brittaney Thomas, Sharielle Smith, Aneika Henry and Marshae Dotson also hitting field goals.

The Billikens dropped Florida's lead to six points three different times, even reducing it to five points, 32-27, with just over four minutes remaining in the period. Bowden again stepped up and ignited a Gator run, connecting on a three-point play that sparked a 12-3 march to end the half with Florida owning a 44-31 lead entering the locker room. Bowden capped the period nailing a trey at the buzzer to end the half with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-6 effort from long range.

Saint Louis committed 16 turnovers during the opening 20 minutes, when Florida converted them into 26 points.

The Gators now take a few days off for the holiday, before returning to action on Friday, December 28, when they play host to the 17^th Annual State Farm Classic. Alabama A&M plays UNC Asheville in the opening game at 4:30 p.m., before Florida meets Holy Cross in the O'Connell Center. Saturday's game times are the same as Friday's, with Florida playing the 7 p.m. both days. The Gator games can be heard live on the radio in Gainesville on WRUF 850AM and through www.GatorZone.com, the official website of the Florida Gators.

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