Juniors Jennifer Mossor (Orlando, Fla.) and Steffi Sorensen (Jacksonville, Fla.) led four Gators in double-figure scoring and the No. 18/20 Florida women's basketball team to a 74-56 victory over Ohio University Saturday evening at the Convocation Center.
The win, which was Florida's 14th consecutive, improved the Gators' overall record to 14-1 this season, the program's best record through 15 games in its 35-year history.
“I am pleased that the win streak is continuing,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “This certainly wasn't our best effort, but as well as Ohio played, and I give them a lot of credit, to still be able to hold them under their average of 60 points, is a good win. It's a win on the road and I guess you can't get too picky with that.”
Mossor scored a team-high 19 points, hitting 8-of-16 from the floor, including a 3-of-4 effort from the three-point arc, while Sorensen contributed 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, with 4-of-7 coming from long range, where the Gators were 10-of-22. It was the third time this season UF had converted 10 from beyond the arc, just one shy of the school record.
“Jenn and Steffi were our most consistent players tonight,” Butler said. “They were the ones who continued to hit shots, get that tipped ball or rebound. Jenn was very composed tonight, took good shots and it seemed like every time we started a run, she was the one heading it up for us.”
Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) added 13 points along with seven assists and zero turnovers, while Sharielle Smith (Bradenton, Fla.) tallied her second double-double of the season and third of her career with 12 points and a career-high-tying 11 rebounds. Senior Marshae Dotson, a native of nearby Columbus, Ohio, had several family members and friends in the stands to watch her collect 10 rebounds, score nine points and block a career-high three shots.
“We had a great Gator crowd here tonight,” Butler commended. “Marshae had a large number of people watching her in a Gator uniform and see her help us get a historic win. Part of the Gator Club of Columbus was here, it seems like the Gator Nation really is everywhere and our team gets fired-up when people wearing orange and blue are cheering for them.”
Ohio, which lost its third straight game, battled throughout and cut UF's 10-point lead to four points, 53-49, with 11:15 remaining.
That's when the Gators mounted a game-changing 18-5 run over the next six-and-a-half minutes to assume a 71-54 lead and the Bobcats never recovered.
Brooks started the run with a bucket and Mossor followed with her third trey of the night, before Smith answered with a shot underneath and Brooks added one more from the free throw line as part of a 9-0 spree to start the march.
After three points from Ohio, Mossor hit another driving layup and Smith put-back an offensive rebound to continue the run. Lauren Hmiel, who finished with a game-high 20 points, sank an 8-footer, but Sorensen responded with her fourth trey and Smith capped the spree with two from the free throw line, as the Gators held a 71-54 advantage with just under four minutes to go.
Miscues plagued Florida in the opening half, when the Gators committed 11 turnovers that the Bobcats converted into 14 points. Ohio also struggled with its shot from the floor, hitting just 34.1 percent (14-41) with the majority of the shot within six feet of the basket after the Bobcats crashed the boards and held the rebounding edge for the majority of the first 20 minutes, that also featured five lead changes and four tied scores.
“I was extremely disappointed with our first-half effort, though,” Butler said. “We had some let-downs mentally and I give Ohio a lot of credit for making us play ugly. They were very prepared for us. I was displeased with our on-ball defense and that's one of the things we addressed in the locker room at halftime.”
Florida did clean up its game in the second half, when it turned the ball over just six times and held Ohio (4-8) to 33.3 percent shooting (9-of-27).
Overall, the Gators shot 42.6 percent from the floor and held a 48-44 rebounding edge, while forcing 16 Bobcat turnovers.
Florida began the second half on a 7-3 run to extend its six-point halftime lead into a 46-37 edge. OU's Lauren Hmiel refused to allow a bigger run and scored the next six points of the game, cutting UF's lead to three points just two and half minutes into the second frame.
Mossor bettered Hmiel by scoring the next seven points of the contest and tried to help the Gators pull away with a 53-43 lead. Ohio came right back with six consecutive points from three different players to get the deficit within four points, 53-49. That's when Florida mounted its final push with the 18-5 run en route to the victory.
In addition to the turnovers, three runs also defined the first half, the most significant was a 21-8 spree by Florida, which turned a five-point deficit (22-17) with 7:33 to go, into an eight-point lead, 38-30, with 1:15 on the clock.
Sorensen ignited the run with back-to-back 3-pointers. UF's lead, however, was short-lived, as Ohio came right back with the next two field goals and assumed a 26-23 edge with 5:02 remaining in the opening half.
That's when the Gators really started crashing the boards for the first time in the game, as Brooks put back her own miss, before Smith accounted for the next six points of the game, as she nailed a trey from the left corner and then converted a three-point play to lift UF to the 31-26 lead.
After Hmiel hit a bucket to stop the Gators' 8-0 march, Dotson put-back an offensive rebound and Brooks stole the ball and attempted a layup that she missed, but immediately put back for another two points and lift the lead to seven, 35-28, with 2:17 left in the half.
Kamille Buckner stopped another UF run with a Bobcat bucket, but Lonnika Thompson (New Orleans, La.) followed with a 3-pointer that gave the Gators a 38-30 lead with 1:15 on the clock. The teams traded scores for the remainder of the period and Florida took a 40-34 halftime lead.
The Gators did emerge with a slim 26-23 rebound edge after 20 minutes of play, with the Bobcats collecting 14 on the offensive end.
Sorensen led UF's offensive charge with 11 points, hitting 4-of-5 from the field, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc in the first half, when the Gators shot 45.7 percent from the floor (16-of-35).
The Gators now turn their attention to Southeastern Conference action, as Florida plays host to Mississippi State on Thursday, January 8.
“As an SEC athlete and competitor, this is what you wait for all season,” Butler shared. “The conference comprises almost half of the season. Everything we have done up to this point has been to prepare us for conference games. We have a great challenge with Mississippi State coming into the O'Connell Center. I think they are one of the most underrated teams in our league and maybe one of the most dangerous.”
Tip-off for Thursday's game has been changed to 5 p.m., to give Gator fans the opportunity to watch Florida play in the FedEx BCS National Championship football game against the University of Oklahoma later that night.
Doors at the O'Connell Center will open at all four gates at 4 p.m. with free admission for the basketball game, which starts at 5 p.m. (this is a time change from early publications so not to conflict with fans who also want to watch the football game). After 5:30 p.m., only UF students, faculty and staff with Gator 1 cards will be admitted to the O'Connell Center. Game coverage starts at 8 p.m. with kickoff expected at 8:17 p.m.
The football game will be simulcast in the O'Connell Center following the basketball game. All fans are encouraged to wear orange-colored clothing and accessories. The football game will be shown on four large video boards.
Women's basketball season ticket holders and Gator Gold Card holders will have their usual accommodations at the basketball game in terms of reserved seating and a special entrance at Gate 1.
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