Women's Basketball Hosts Stetson in Season Opener on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Friday, November 13, 2009 | Women's Basketball
The University of Florida women's basketball team plays host to Stetson on Sat., Nov. 14 in the season-opening game for both teams. Tip-off from the Stephen C. O'Connell Center is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Florida, which begins its 36th season of varsity competition, has won 13 of its last 15 season-openers, however, dropped last year's tight 88-86 road decision at Florida Gulf Coast exactly one year ago from the 2009-10 opener.
Saturday will be the sixth time in the last seven years the Gators open their season in the friendly confines of the O'Connell Center, sporting a 3-1 record in those games. Overall, Florida holds an 11-5 record in season-openers played at home.
“It's time to get excited because there's nothing like playing games,” said UF head coach Amanda Butler, who enters her third season with the Gators. “I expect there to be a lot of nervous energy early on the floor with five newcomers. I expect the seniors to have some nerves, too, because this is their season. We've had very intense practices preparing for this moment with the thought that nothing they will experience in a game will be as hard as it is during a game. I would hope that the nerves don't last too long because their confidence in their preparation should overtake the nervousness.”
As the 2009-10 season approaches, it might be easy for fans to wonder how the Gators can possibly compensate for the graduation loss of two of the most statistically successful players in program history.
Sha Brooks and Marshae Dotson combined for 3,349 points during their four-year career. In addition to finishing as the Gators' fifth all-time leading scorer, Brooks departed as the program's all-time leader for free throws made and attempted, games played and consecutive games started, while finishing second for minutes played, third for three-pointers and her list of statistical accomplishments goes on and on. Despite her undersized frame for a post player, Dotson was a 55.5 percent shooter during her career, the second-highest accuracy mark in program history, just behind the 55.7 percent clip by U.S. Olympian Tammy Jackson, while she finished ninth all-time for rebounding and 10th for scoring.
Those two also were instrumental in a record-setting 2008-09 season. In addition to tying the record with 24 victories last year, Florida marched into the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in history - the team's first trip since 2004, as the 2008-09 squad had its season close on the road at top-ranked and eventual NCAA champion Connecticut.
“Marshae and Sha's contributions to the program go without saying,” Butler said. “Statistically, we're going to have greater balance offensively and have quality, experienced depth which is something we haven't had during my first two years here.”
That offensive firepower and balance will come from within the 2009-10 Gator roster consisting of 14 players that features five seniors, as well as five newcomers.
“We have five seniors and they should be leading the charge for us, not just on Saturday against Stetson, but throughout this entire season,” said Butler, whose 43 wins are the most by a Gator coach through their first two years in program history. “This is their last first game of their career and they should want it to be special. We've also had some younger players step up recently in practice.”
Steffi Sorensen (5-foot-10, Guard, Senior) easily was the biggest surprise last year, as she walked onto the team and led the Gators' record-setting long-range campaign by hitting a team-best 78 treys at a 39.2 percent clip. She averaged 9.2 points during the course of the season and is UF's leading returning scorer in 2009-10.
With the departure of Brooks, Lonnika Thompson (5-foot-4, Point Guard, Senior) enters the preseason as the club's veteran point guard. The quick floor general converted 31-of-85 from downtown for a 36.5 percent mark. She led the Gators with 57 steals last year and dished 56 assists.
Sharielle Smith (5-foot-10, Forward, Senior) dons the Florida orange and blue for her fourth season and is the team's leading returning rebounder with 6.2 per game last year. At 5-foot-10, Smith is also UF's frontcourt veteran, however, she steadily proved throughout the course of the last two years to be a viable long-range shooter, as she canned 21-of-60 for 35 percent from the three-point arc in 2008-09. Smith also is on-pace to become the program's most consistent free throw shooter, hitting 83.3 percent entering her final year.
Susan Yenser (5-foot-10, Guard, Senior) made 10 starts during her debut season with the Gators last year, when she tallied 18 treys at a 34-percent clip. A transfer from Clemson, Yenser earned such high respect from her teammates that they voted her captain during the season she was required to sit-out per NCAA rules for transfers.
Jennifer Mossor (5-foot-9, Guard, Senior) was enjoying her finest collegiate season before a knee injury ended her run 16 games into the 2008-09 season. She started those first 16 games of the year, helping the Gators race out to a 15-1 record, the best 16-game mark in program history, as well as mount a 15-game winning streak. At the time of her injury, Mossor was UF's fourth-leading scorer (9.1 ppg), had dished the third-most assists (37) and hit the third-most three-pointers (15).
Saturday's Match-Up
Florida leads the 24-game series against Stetson, 21-3, riding an 11-game win streak versus the Hatters into Saturday's contest.
Only three Hatters who played in last year's 82-46 Gator victory return for this season's game, including Jessica Conner, who recorded 10 points and game-high 11 rebounds. Also suiting up for Stetson is Kerri Simpson, who played her freshman year at Florida before transferring. Saturday is her debut in the Stetson Green and White, as it will be for Daphnee Frieson, a 6-4 junior center, who also sat out last season after transferring from Ole Miss.
Stetson is the first of at least four other schools from the Sunshine State the Gators will play this season, with a fifth possible game should UF and FIU meet in the second round of FIU's Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 29.
The Gators are 206-59 all-time against teams from the state of Florida, including an 8-3 mark under Coach Butler.
Game Day Information
What: Game 1: Stetson Hatters at Florida
When: Saturday, November 14, 2009 * 1 p.m.
Where: Gainesville, Fla. * Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,000)
Radio: LIVE on WBXY-FM (The Star 99.5) in Gainesville with Tom Collett
Internet Audio: LIVE thru GatorZone.com (FREE of charge)
GatorVision Online: LIVE streaming video thru www.GatorZone.com
Television: none
Post-Game Satellite Feed: 5-5:15 pm ET
KU Band Digital Feed - Galaxy 17, Transponder 15, Slot A;
Selected parameters: Downlink Freq.: 11986.5 Horizontal … Symbol Rate: 3.9787 … Data Rate: 5.5… FEC: 3/4 … Sat Truck Trouble #: 352-392-8043
Tickets: Today's Game SPECIAL - General Admission for everyone - $1 … Reserved Section - $5 ... UF Students with valid ID - FREE
Additional Game Day Hoopla
• Dollar Day – All general admission and select concession items are only $1!
• Football Viewing Party – Following the game, their will be a Florida-South Carolina football viewing party on the GatorVision Boards. Fans must have a ticket to the women's basketball game and must be in the arena by 2 p.m.
• Gator Boosters Night – Gator Booster supporters receive free admission with their Gator Booster ID.
• Schedule Poster Giveaway – The first 2,500 fans receive a copy of the 2009-10 WBB poster.
• Men's Basketball 2-for-1 Offer – Fans attending the viewing party will receive 2-for-1 coupons good for the men's basketball vs. Stetson (11/15/09).
• Key Tag Schedule Giveaway – The first 2,500 fans receive Gator men's/women's basketball key tag schedules.
• Dollar Day – All general admission and select concession items are only $1!
• WBB Season Ticket Giveaway – One lucky fan will win two (2) season tickets!
• During the game, the 1975-1976 Florida Women's Basketball team, the inaugural varsity squad, will be recognized.
• No Southern Accent (A'cappella group) will perform the National Anthem and will perform at halftime.
• The Dazzlers will perform at halftime.
• Flying Biscuit's Free Throw Tic Tac Toe – Two (2) teams will compete, one team member will shoot free throws, the other team members will place their X's or O's on the playing board. The first team with Tic Tac Toe wins gift certificates from The Flying Biscuit Cafe.
-UF-
