The University of Florida women's basketball team used a 20-0 run midway through the second half to erase an 11-point deficit and earn a thrilling 77-75 victory over UAB on Wednesday evening at Bartow Arena.
Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) totaled 12 points that included the game-winner with five seconds remaining to lead the Gators (7-1) to their seventh consecutive victory.
“This was definitely a wild ride and we're just fortunate to come out with a win because this was one of those ballgames where I felt UAB out-played us in the first half,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We did not set the tone and we were sluggish. They were energetic. Where they were making plays, we weren't. When you play poorly and you're still able to win, you'll take it.”
UAB's Britany Jones scored 17 of her career-high 28 points in the first half, helping the Blazers (2-5) take a 38-34 halftime lead.
“I am a big fan of Britany Jones, UAB's point guard, just because of her effort alone,” Butler praised.
“I am proud of Sha because I went after her pretty hard at halftime,” Butler said. “Sha really stepped up her game in the second half. She wanted the ball in her hand to make that last shot and she did. I knew she would make it and her teammates thought so, too. We all were confident with Sha having the ball at the end.”
Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) also added 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds for Florida, which shot 50 percent (31-62) from the floor and held a 33-11 rebounding edge. Jennifer Mossor (Orlando, Fla.) tallied 10 points, while Brooks dished six of the Gators' 18 assists. Freshman Trumae Lucas (Greensboro, N.C.) had her finest game as a Gator, scoring five points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in seven minutes of action, most of which came during UF's game-changing 20-0 run.
UAB also hit 50 percent of its shots (28-56), including 9-of-23 from the three-point arc.
Brooks tied the game at 49-all after a three-pointer with 14:49 remaining, but Florida went cold from the floor and the Blazers heated up, as four different players helped ignite an 11-0 run that ended with UAB holding a 60-49 lead with 11:45 on the clock.
Lonnika Thompson (New Orleans, La.), who finished with a season-high eight points, finally halted the run with a trey from the top-left of the arc and Lucas followed with another bucket from behind the arc, as the pair helped the Gators stage an impressive 20-0 spree that featured four 3-pointers, with Thompson knocking down two and Sharielle Smith (Bradenton, Fla.) adding one. The Gators came away from the march holding a 69-60 lead with 6:52 remaining.
Britany Jones ended Florida's offensive spree and after Mossor followed with a bucket for the Gators, Jones scored three straight points, Fatiha Salaam added a driving layup and Ashlee Jackson nailed a three that cut the lead to one point, 71-70, with 3:31 left. Salaam added one free throw that ended the 9-0 run to tie the game at 71-all and 2:22 on the clock.
Brooks answered for Florida with a driving layup and Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) added one, too, as the Gators held a 75-71 lead with 1:08 to go.
Salaam then nailed a 3-pointer in front of the Blazers' bench with 51 seconds on the clock that shrank the lead to one point. Florida missed on its end of the floor and UAB had a chance to take the lead, as Jones was fouled but missed the front end of the bonus tries. She hit the second and tied the score at 75-all with 32.2 seconds remaining.
Florida worked the ball around the arc on its ensuing possession and UAB fouled, but the Blazers hadn't been called for seven fouls so the Gators couldn't capitalize and get to the free throw line.
Brooks then rose to the challenge and with the ball in her hands, slipped into the paint and converted one of her patented driving layups to give the Gators a 77-75 lead. During Brooks' drive, however, the clock went out. The officials huddled and put five seconds back on the clock, giving UAB another life. Jones had the ball for the final shot and launched a deep trey that actually bounced off the front of the iron and fell out as the final hour sounded.
Florida found itself trailing at halftime for just the second time this season, as UAB came out of the gates and road the sharp shooting of senior Britney Jones, who tallied 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, as she hit from all over the court while collecting three steals.
The Blazers connected on 51.7 percent from the floor (15-29) and committed just seven turnovers during the opening frame, while the Gators hit 43.8 percent (14-32) and held a slim 20-15 rebounding edge.
Those first 20 minutes featured six tied scores and seven lead changes. Florida led by as many as five on two different occasions, with the last time at the 9:44 mark. UAB held a four-point advantages three times, including the 38-34 lead it took into the locker room at the break.
Florida opened the game a bit sluggish and UAB jumped onto top of it by racing out to a quick 4-0 lead. The Gators got on track with a short jumper by Smith that started an 8-0 run that force the Blazers to call a timeout. Dotson hit a pair of buckets underneath and Mossor drove hard to the basket to contribute to the spree.
UAB responded to the 30 seconds of instruction, as Ashlee Jackson nailed a three-pointer immediately after the timeout.
Aneika Henry (Coconut Grove, Fla.) answered for Florida with a power move inside and Dotson followed with a short jumper in the paint after a dish from Thompson.
With the Blazers holding a 22-20 lead, Mossor canned an eight-footer and Steffi Sorensen (Jacksonville, Fla.) nailed a 24-foot trey with 6:06 remaining that gave the Gators a 25-22 margin. UAB, however came right back as Amanda Peterson put up a 6-footer in the paint. UF missed on its offensive possession but the Blazers didn't, as Jones made a steal at the top of the arc and raced the length of the court for the layup with 5:19 to go and Florida wouldn't lead again for the rest of the half, managing to tie the game four different times before half, but never take the lead.
Florida next concludes its four-game road trip on Sunday, traveling to Raleigh, N.C., where the Gators play N.C. State in Reynolds Coliseum with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. The radio broadcast of the game can be heard live in Gainesville on WRUF-AM850 and through the internet at www.GatorZone.com, the official website of the Florida Gators. Live streaming video also will be available through www.ACCselect.com, with a fee for the service.
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