Gators Host No. 13/12 Florida State on Tuesday
Monday, November 16, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Instate rivals Florida and Florida State tip-off in women's basketball on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the O'Connell Center. The game will be televised by SUN Sports and air live in the North-Central region of the state.
The Seminoles (1-0) are ranked No. 13 in the Nov. 16 Associated Press Poll and No. 12 in the ESPN Coaches' Poll. They are the first ranked opponent the Gators (1-0) are facing this season.
Florida boasts a 17-game non-conference home winning streak entering Tuesday's outing against Florida State. It is the third longest streak of its kind in program history. The run began on Nov. 26, 2007, when the Gators eked out a 54-50 win against Stetson. Florida's last home loss to a non-conference opponent was back on Nov. 23, 2007, when the Gators dropped a tough 81-78 decision to Florida State.
Newcomers Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) and Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.) led UF's balanced season-opening victory over Stetson on Saturday, combining for 38 points. George turned in the third-best offensive performance by a Gator in her collegiate debut, finishing with a game-high 21 points, including 7-of-9 from the floor to complement five offensive rebounds in just 16 minutes of play. Jones, playing her first collegiate game in 601 days after transferring to Florida from South Carolina, tallied 17 points - including three 3-pointers - to go along with a game-high five assists and two steals.
The nationally-ranked Seminoles cruised past North Florida, 79-50, in their season-opener on Friday.
FSU's starting lineup is a veteran one, featuring three seniors, one junior and a sophomore. The Gators will have their work cut out for them, as the Seminoles' two starting frontcourt mates stand 6-foot-5 (Jacinta Monroe) and 6-foot-4 (Cierra Bravard), instrumental in helping FSU dominate the boards against North Florida, 48-23. Monroe tallied a game-high 16 points, leading four Noles who had a double-figure scoring night. Every player who entered the game for FSU scored and collected at least one rebound.
“FSU has a tremendous inside game with Jacinta Monroe and Cierra Bravard,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “Our challenge for Jennifer George is to see if she can take a good performance one night and come back ready to face the best post tandem she has ever faced in her young career.”
The 66-game series, which the Gators lead 40-25, is the longest in Florida's 36-year history. While the Gators hold the edge in the all-time record, the Seminoles have won four of the last six meetings, including two of the last three contests. Florida did, however, capture last year's meeting in Tallahassee, a 72-57 victory.
“That was a great win for our team, but it was a long, long time ago,” Butler said of last season's win. “Florida State is a veteran team comprised mostly of seniors and juniors that are not going to forget what happened. It doesn't matter if we played each other every weekend, though. It's Florida against Florida State. The intensity of that rivalry and the instate pride and all the different ways it manifests itself are going to be there. We know we have to play a very good ball game. We know that they are going to be ready.”
Game Day Information
What: Game 2: Florida State Seminoles (1-0) at Florida (1-0)
When: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 * 7 p.m.
Where: Gainesville, Fla. * Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,000)
Radio: LIVE on WBXY-FM (The Star 99.5) in Gainesville with Steve Babik & Steve Russell
Internet Audio: LIVE thru GatorZone.com (FREE of charge)
GatorVision Online: LIVE thru GatorZone.com (fee-based, streaming video)
Television: LIVE on SUN Sports in North-Central Florida Territory with Mick Hubert & Mark Wise
Post-Game Satellite Feed: none
Tickets: $5 for Reserved Seats ... $4 for Adult General Admission ... $2 for Youth age 17 & under ... FREE for UF students
-UF-
