Florida's Jennifer Mossor and Marshae Dotson scored 22 points apiece, but it wasn't enough to overcome the sizzling outside shooting of Florida Gulf Coast, which canned 12 three-pointers and rode the enthusiasm of a raucous 2,866 fans to take an 88-86 win over the Gators in Alico Arena on Friday night in the season-opener for both squads.
“It was obvious that they were very prepared for this game and that they were very emotionally charged,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We knew we were going to be tested and were going to face a lot of adversity. It was a great crowd and a lot of enthusiasm and we just had some breakdowns during crucial moments of the game. We had plays where we didn't execute and they capitalized in front of their home fans.”
The Gators trailed by as many as 13 points, 71-58, with 11 minutes to go, but staged a rally to take a lead with less then four minutes remaining. From there, FGCU used keen outside shooting, especially from junior Adrianne McNally, who banked in a key 3-pointer as the shot-clock expired with 2:30 left that gave the Eagles an 83-80 advantage.
That shot seemed to inspire FGCU and its crowd, which was on its feet for the remainder of the game.
Mossor's 22 points were a career-high, while Dotson, who also collected seven rebounds, reached the 20-point plateau for the 16th time in her career while hitting 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. Sharielle Smith added 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, along with a game-high nine rebounds. Sha Brooks scored six points and dished seven assists for UF, which shot 47.2 percent from the floor and hit 10-of-12 free throws, while holding a 41-30 rebounding advantage.
McNally's 22 points led four Eagles in double-figure scoring, as the hosts hit 12-of-21 from the three-point arc and 20-of-25 from the free throw line.
The teams traded scores for nearly the first four minutes of the second half, which didn't bode well for Florida, which trailed by nine at halftime.
The Gators then hit back-to-back 3-pointers, as Jennifer Mossor hit from the right side and Steffi Sorensen canned one from the top of the arc to pull UF within four, 58-54, with 14:12 remaining.
FGCU followed with five straight points, but Marshae Dotson countered with four consecutive inside the paint and UF was still within five, 63-58, with 12:30 on the clock.
The Eagles then ripped off eight consecutive points thanks to more sharp perimeter shooting, with a pair of treys and a two free throws lifting FGCU to a 71-58 lead with 11:10 remaining.
The Gators refused to fold, as Sharielle Smith, Mossor and Dotson combined to score 18 points during UF's 18-3 run, capped by an athletic offensive put-back from Smith that gave the Gators a 76-74 lead with 5:40 left.
FGCU tallied the next four on the scoreboard, using the Gator foul woes to get to the free throw line. Dotson halted the run with a jumper in the paint and Kim Critton scored her first points of the season with a slashing jumper, as UF reclaimed the lead, 80-78.
The next two scores were by FGCU, as Adrianne McNally launched a 3-pointer that banked in as the shot clock horn went off, giving the hosts an 83-80 lead with 2:30 on the clock. Smith then got UF's number rolling with another offensive putback. Critton collected a defensive rebound, outlet the ball to Mossor who drove the length of the floor before dishing to Dotson, who finished the play and give the Gators an 84-83 lead with 1:45 remaining.
Smith came down with another defensive rebound, but Critton missed a layup on UF's ensuing possession and FGCU collected the loose ball and McNally capitalized with a layup with 42.2 seconds left to swing the lead back the Eagles, 85-84. Critton again had an open look, but her try was off the mark, FGCU corralled the rebound and UF was forced to foul. McNally made the Gators pay, cooling canning both from the charity stripe and lifting the Eagles to an 87-84 lead with 22 ticks left. UF couldn't convert on its end of the floor until one more FGCU free throw, en route to the final decision.
“The last few possessions, we got the looks we wanted, we just didn't put the ball in the hole,” Butler said. “We have to learn that when we're playing in tough conditions like this when the crowd is into it, you have to get the ball to fall in the hole. We know that a game isn't won or lost in the last 30 seconds of a ballgame. We gave up 45 points in the first half and to me that was the key to the game. We didn't lock down and play defense like we should have and like we have been practicing. I do have to give FGCU a ton of credit because they played with a lot of passion. They are obviously very, very well coached and we obviously have a lot of work to do.”
Florida found itself trailing 45-37 at halftime, as FGCU used sharp outside shooting to build the lead, hitting 53.3 percent (16-30) from the field, including 5-of-10 from the 3-point arc and 8-of-11 from the free throw line.
Mossor tallied 10 first-half points to lead the Gators, who shot 42.9 percent from the field and held a 21-15 rebounding edge, but managed just three trips to the free throw line and UF's post players found themselves in early foul trouble.
After the teams traded buckets twice to start the game, FGCU used an 11-0 run over a 3:18 span to take a 13-4 lead just under five minutes into the game.
Florida whittled the deficit down to four points, but Chelsea Lyles canned a trey to give the home team a seven-point lead. Azania Stewart then scored her first collegiate points, putting back an offensive rebound at the 11:33 mark of the first half. That bucket sparked a furious 12-3 Gator run over a 1:22 span, as Stewart, Sharielle Smith, Lonnika Thompson, Steffi Sorensen and Jennifer Mossor scored during the spree and lifted Florida to a 23-21 advantage.
The teams exchanged field goals, before FGCU marched off a 15-5 run in a little less than six minutes to take a 40-30 lead with 3:07 remaining. The two squads then traded scores for the rest of the half and the Eagles took the nine-point advantage into the locker room.
Florida returns to action on Monday, Nov. 17, when the Gators play host to Jacksonville University (0-0) in their home-opener in the O'Connell Center beginning at 7 p.m. The game will be televised live statewide on FSN-Florida (channel 70 on Cox Cable in Gainesville), while the radio broadcast of the game can be heard on WRUF-AM850 and through www.GatorZone.com, the official website of the Florida Gators.
The first 1,000 fans attending Monday's game receive free Schedule Key Tags. Fans also receive 2-for-1 admission by bringing two or more canned goods that will be donated to the local food bank through the “Gators Can Make a Difference” program.
UF Game Notes
*Jennifer Mossor scored in double-figures for the 10th time in her career, netting 10 in the first half en route to a career-high 22 points
*UF falls to 19-16 in season-opening games, including a 3-7 record when opening on the opposition's home court
*Sha Brooks started her 92nd consecutive game, 94 overall
*Steffi Sorensen scored her first points in a Gator uniform at the 12:23 mark of the first half, nailing a 3-pointer from the top-left of the arc
*Azania Stewart scored her first points in a Gator uniform at the 11:02 mark of the first half, putting back an offensive rebound
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