Senior Briana Phillips (Palmetto, Fla.) scored 20 of her career-high 23 points during Florida's furious second-half rally, but the Gators couldn't overcome early shooting woes and a significant deficit, losing to Kentucky, 84-74, Sunday afternoon at Memorial Coliseum.
Florida, which nearly staged the largest comeback win in program history, found itself in a 28-point hole with 15 minutes remaining before getting within five points, 77-72, with 1:06 remaining, but couldn't pull out the victory, as Kentucky didn't hit a field goal in the last 3:55, but hit 12-of-17 free throws in the final three minutes to seal the win.
“One thing that has remaining consistent with the players on our team is that they just don't quit,” UF head coach Carolyn Peck said. “I wish we would have had the depth to start the game the way we finished it because our pressing made a huge difference and we forced a bunch of turnovers off our press. If one layup falls or a 3-pointer goes down, we might have put just enough pressure on Kentucky and the game might have swayed one way or the other.”
The Gators overcame Kentucky's 22-6 start and got within six points with four minutes remaining in the first half, but the Wildcats ended the period on a 13-0 run to take a 43-24 halftime lead.
Florida's deficit swelled to 28 points, 55-27, with 15 minutes remaining in the game, but the gritty Gators chipped away and never gave up, as Florida kept plugging away and got within 15 points, 59-44, with nine minutes left. Amani Franklin hit a huge 3-pointer for UK, which sparked an 8-2 run as the Wildcats tried to pull away, taking a 67-47 lead. But the Gators rallied with a 14-4 spree – eight points from Depree Bowden (Palmetto, Fla.) and got within 10 points, 71-61, with 3:07 left.
Florida began fouling Kentucky on every possession thereafter, but the Wildcats (15-9, 4-5 SEC) remained cool at the line, canning 12-of-17 during that stretch and 21-of-30 during the game to take snap a two-game losing streak, while handing the Gators lost their 11th straight (6-18, 0-9 SEC).
Phillips contributed a career-high 23 points, hitting 4-of-6 3-pointers, which were her first of the season, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) contributed 17 points with six rebounds despite playing most of the game in foul trouble, while Bowden tallied 10 of her 14 points in the second half, when the Gators out-scored the Wildcats, 50-41.
Florida committed just 11 turnovers while forcing 22 Kentucky miscues, but shot just 37.3 percent (28-75) in the game, including a 31.4 percent clip in the first half. The taller Wildcat club hit 51.9 percent (28-54), including 58.6 percent in the opening frame, also ending with a 44-31 rebounding advantage.
Kentucky ripped out of the gates on a 22-6 run, as the Gators struggled with their shot to open the game. Marshae Dotson accounted for all of UF's early points, but picked up her second personal foul during the spree and was forced to the sideline to watch the Wildcats score their final six points during the run and build the 16-point lead with less than 12 minutes remaining in the half.
Sha Brooks' 17-foot jumper stopped UK's run and started a 6-0 Gator swing, as Sharielle Smith nailed a pair of outside shots to cut the deficit to 10 points, 22-12, with 10:38 left.
The teams exchanged buckets twice, but Florida's two were 3-pointers from Kim Dye and Briana Phillips, as the Gators got within eight, 26-18, with 7:40 on the clock.
The Wildcats countered with four quick points, before Depree Bowden and Jennifer Mossor contributed toward a 6-0 run and reduced UK's lead to six, 30-24, with 3:55 remaining. Those points, however, would be the last for the Gators in the half, as the Wildcats ended the period on a 13-0 run and took a commanding 43-24 halftime lead.
Florida shot just 31.4 percent (11-35) during the opening 20 minutes and was out-rebounded 22-12. The Gators did commit only five turnovers, but it wasn't enough to counter UK's 58.6 percent (17-29), as Samantha Mahoney scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 6-foot-6 Sarah Elliott converted 5-of-7 for 10 points during the opening stanza.
The Gators continue their two-game road trip on Thursday, Feb. 8, when the team travels to Baton Rouge to face No. 7 LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET and will be televised live by SEC-TV (FSN Florida, FSN Southwest and Sun Sports). The radio broadcast of the game can be heard live in Gainesville on WRUF 850AM and on the internet thru www.GatorZone.com.
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