Gators Travel to Nashville for Thursday Game vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Just five games remain in the Southeastern Conference regular-season schedule and Florida plays three of those on the road, beginning Thursday, when the Gators travel to Nashville to face No. 24 Vanderbilt in Memorial Gym at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT).
Florida (No. 9 AP / No. 11 ESPN-USA Today Coaches Poll) needs to re-focus after its exciting 66-57 win over Tennessee on Sunday, when the Gators earned just their third victory over the Lady Vols in the 40-game series history.
The Commodores (18-6, 7-2 SEC) are 12-1 this season at Memorial Gym, with the lone loss a tough 59-57 decision to nationally-ranked Notre Dame on Dec. 30th.
Vanderbilt was the preseason favorite to win the SEC regular-season title, as selected by the league's coaches and media, while the Gators were selected to finish sixth.
"We have a very, very tough road ahead," UF head coach Amanda Butler said. "Vanderbilt is the preseason favorite to win the SEC and Memorial Gym is one of the toughest places in the country to play because of its unique set-up. They have great fans and it will be a very hostile environment. They shoot exceptionally well at home. Like every team in our league, they are a whole different team when they play on their home floor."
Florida (22-2, 8-1 SEC) is tied with Auburn atop the SEC standings, while Vanderbilt is third sporting a 7-2 record and Tennessee sits fourth at 6-3. Mississippi State, Georgia and LSU all are tied for fifth with a 5-4 record entering this week's action.
The SEC race isn't the only thing heating up. In the last three games, All-America candidate Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) is averaging 27.7 points, hitting 13-of-21 three-pointers (61.9%).
She has scored in double-figures in 14 consecutive games, leading UF's scoring brigade overall and in SEC games. The senior averages 16.4 points overall and 21.4 in league outings. Brooks is coming off a tremendous week, when she scored 29 points against both Alabama and Tennessee en route to being named the SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 9. Brooks ranks among the SEC leaders in conference games for scoring (No. 2), steals (No. 2), assists (No. 2), assist/turnover ratio (No. 4), free throw percentage (No. 10) and field goal percentage (No. 9).
In Florida's five games this season vs. ranked opponents, Brooks is averaging 22.6 points, while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor (34-83), collecting 4.0 rebounds, with 12 of the 20 coming on the offensive end. She has scored at least 24 points in four of those five games.
"Sha is just playing at a whole other level offensively right now," Butler said.
It would be tough to find another post player under 6-foot that has been as consistent and as valuable as senior Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) The 5-foot-11 forward is UF's second-leading scorer overall and in league games, averaging 12.9 and 14.8 points, respectively. Even more impressive is her accuracy and tenacity in the paint, leading UF in rebounding and field goal percentage. Dotson ranks among the SEC leaders in conference play for scoring (No. 11), field goal percentage (No. 1) and rebounding (No. 9).
Florida's 22-2 record is the best 24-game record in program history, bettering the 21-3 mark established by the 1994 and the 2001 Gator squads. The 1993-94 Florida team, headed by then-senior captain Amanda Butler, posted a 22-3 record, which is the best 25-game record in program history.
UF is 8-1 in the SEC for the third time in program history, tying the 1996-97 and 2000-01 teams for the best nine-game league record. No Gator team has ever started 9-1. The 1997, 1998 and 2001 teams all went 8-2 through 10 games. Florida's seven-game SEC win streak is it's longest conference win streak in program history, passing the six-game march made by the 2000-01 team.
Vanderbilt holds a 26-18 lead against Florida, including a 13-5 record in Nashville. The Commodores have won three straight against the Gators, as well as five of the last six meetings. Florida's three-game losing streak to Vanderbilt is its longest active slide against any SEC team. Florida's last win in Nashville was on Feb. 1, 2004, when the Gators captured the 92-83 shoot-out.
Senior forward Christina Wirth is one of the SEC's most well-rounded players, leading Vanderbilt with 14.6 points per game, hitting 46-of-121 from beyond the arc for 38.0 percent, while also contributing 5.5 rebounds, 51 assists and 39 steals. Senior guard Jennifer Risper adds 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, while dishing 63 assists and 61 steals.
"Vanderbilt has a tremendous amount of experience," Butler said. "Christina Wirth and Jenn Risper are two of the most unique seniors in this league. They've won championships, they both have unique games and they are very confident. Melanie Balcomb is a tremendous coach, one of the best in our league, and you know she'll have her team ready. We are going to have to play well."
Three different Gator student-athletes, as well as head Coach Butler and assistant coach Susie Gardner are natives of the Volunteer State. Butler and Gardner hail from Mt. Juliet, located just 15 miles from Nashville. Current Gators who hail from the nation's 16th state include: Sha Brooks is from Jackson (120 miles from Nashville), Kim Critton is from Memphis (196 miles from Nashville) and Ndidi Madu is from Antioch (147 miles from Nashville).
Entering Thursday's game against Vanderbilt, the Gator offense is lighting up the scoreboard for 76.0 points per game, the second-highest scoring offense among SEC teams (and No. 11 nationally, through Feb. 8), while shooting 46.1 percent from the field - the No. 2 percentage among all SEC teams this season (behind Auburn) and the seventh-best in the country through games played Feb. 8) - a mark even more impressive since the Gators' don't have one 6-footer in their starting lineup.
Game Day Information
What: Florida (22-2, 8-1 SEC) at Vanderbilt (18-6, 7-2 SEC)
When: Thursday, February 12, 2009 * 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT)
Where: Nashville, Tenn. * Memorial Gymnasium (14,168)
Radio: LIVE on WRUF AM850 in Gainesville; audio simulcast on Cox Channel 96 with Steve Babik & Steve Russell
Internet Audio: LIVE thru GatorZone.com (FREE of charge)
Streaming Internet Video: none
Television: LIVE on FSN-Florida in North & Central Florida (channel 70 on COX Cable in Gainesville) & on Sun Sports in South Florida territory with Mick Hubert & Mark Wise
Post-Game Satellite Feed: none
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