WBB Hosts Tennessee in Match-up of Nationally-Ranked Teams Sunday at 5 pm
Saturday, February 7, 2009 | Women's Basketball
The Gators take a quick break from their challenging road trip and play host to two-time defending NCAA Champion Tennessee in the O'Connell Center Sunday beginning at 5 p.m.
The start time for Sunday's game was moved to accommodate a live national television broadcast by ESPN2, marking the network's first visit to Gainesville for a regular-season broadcast since Jan. 27, 2002, when the Gators topped Georgia, 73-64.
Florida sports a modest six-game winning streak and has won 13 consecutive at home. The Gators have held similar streaks during their program history, but it has seemingly been the Lady Vols who ended those runs.
At first glance, Florida's six-game Southeastern Conference win streak might not seem like much, but it's actually tied for the longest SEC win streak in program history. Four other Gator teams won five consecutive games, with only the 2000-01 squad able to string together a program-record six-game SEC win streak. It was Tennessee that halted that streak with a 103-73 pounding on Feb. 11, 2001.
The Gators carry a 12-0 this season in the O'Connell Center, while sporting an overall 13-game home winning streak, the fourth-longest win streak in program history. The third-longest run at home was the 16-game march the Gators compiled from Jan. 30, 2000 to Feb. 11, 2001, when Tennessee halted that streak.
Aside from the various wins streaks, however, both teams are playing their respective ninth game in the 14-game SEC schedule. Florida (7-1 SEC) is tied with Auburn atop the league standings, while Tennessee (6-2 SEC) is tied with Vanderbilt for third.
Three Gators (Sha Brooks, Kim Critton and Ndidi Madu) are natives of the state of Tennessee, as is head coach Amanda Butler and assistant coach Susie Gardner, both of whom hail from Mt. Juliet.
"I'm sure there might be a little extra talk in the locker room from our players who are from Tennessee, but like I told them after our Georgia win, we don't get any bonus points for beating any specific team," Butler said. "The most important things to remember are that this is an SEC ballgame, we need an SEC win and we have to defend our home court."
Florida's 21-2 record is the best 23-game record in program history. UF also is 7-1 in the SEC for the first time since the 2000-01 season, tying for the best eight-game league start in program history with the 2000-01 team, which compiled an 8-1 mark and eventually an 11-3 conference record, the best in program history to finish in a tie for second in the league standings, also its best showing in program history.
Entering Sunday's game against Tennessee, the Gator offense is lighting up the scoreboard for 75.7 points per game, the second-highest scoring offense among SEC teams and No. 11 nationally, while shooting 46.5 percent from the field - the No. 2 percentage among all SEC teams this season and the fourth-best in the country. A mark even more impressive since the Gators' don't have one 6-footer in their starting lineup. On the flip side, the Lady Vols have four 6-footers in their starting lineup.
"Offensively, I think we've proven to be one of the best scoring teams in the country. We've shown that we also can be one of the best shooting teams in the country," Butler said. "But what the most important thing that we have to continue is our versatility and the way that we score. We need to put the defense in a position where it's hard to guard us. Balance is the key so that teams can't focus on any one or two players."
UF seniors Sha Brooks and Marshae Dotson have been the team's offensive leaders this season. The pair is the only two Gators averaging a double-figure scoring effort, headlining UF's potent and very balanced attack. Brooks leads the team in scoring (15.9 ppg), assists (114), steals (44), free throws made (96) and free throws attempted (118). In addition to 13.0 points per game, Dotson leads UF in field goal percentage (61.1%), rebounding (7.1 pg) and offensive rebounds (73).
The Gators have been much more than a two-person team offensively.
Junior guard Steffi Sorensen (Jacksonville, Fla.) is averaging 10.3 points per SEC game, shooting 45.1 percent from the three-point arc (23-51), the third-highest percentage among league players, while emerging as UF's second-leading rebounder in SEC games with 6.1 per outing. Entering Sunday's game against Tennessee, Sorensen has hit at least one three-pointer in 18 consecutive games, tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history.
Over the last four games, freshman Trumae Lucas (Greensboro, N.C.) is averaging 11.5 points in 21.8 minutes of action. The rookie scored a then-career-high 13 points against Ole Miss (Jan. 25) and topped it the next game with 14 points in the victory over Kentucky (Jan. 29). Lucas scored six points in 14 minutes at Arkansas (Feb. 1) and tallied nine points with four assists in 19 minutes at Alabama (Feb. 5).
Tennessee (17-5) holds a commanding 37-2 all-time lead in the 39-game series against Florida, carrying a three-game win streak against UF into Sunday's affair. The Gators have earned one win at home (Jan. 21, 1997) and one in Knoxville (Feb. 26, 2006), where they became just the second unranked team ever to defeat the Lady Vols at home. That victory in 2006 was the end of a three-game run when each decision was decided was by a single-digit margin. The next - and last - three games of the series, however, have been all Vols, who have won those by an average of 26.7 points.
For the first time in the 39-game history, Florida will take to the court against Tennessee as the higher ranked team, as the Gators are No. 11 in the Associated Press poll and No. 13 in the ESPN-USA Today Coaches' poll, while the Lady Vols are No. 12 and No. 17, respectively.
Regardless of the opposition's ranking, though, Brooks has shined in all four games this season against nationally-ranked foes, leading the Gators to a 3-1 record while averaging 21.0 points, while shooting 40.6 percent from the floor (26-64) and 81.1 percent from the free throw line (30-37).
Game Day Information
What: Florida (21-2, 7-1 SEC) hosts Tennessee (17-5, 6-2 SEC)
When: Sunday, February 8, 2009 * 5 p.m. ET
Where: Gainesville, Fla. * Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,000)
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 ESPN2 (channel 27 on COX Cable in Gainesville) with Dave O'Brien, Carolyn Peck & Holly Rowe
Post-Game Satellite Feed: none
Tickets: Reserved Seating: SOLD-OUT; General Admission: $4 - Adults, $2 - Seniors age 55 and older & Youth age 17 & under; FREE - UF Students with valid ID
Parking: there is no charge or reserved section for parking in the O'Connell Center lot on the weekend or beginning at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays
Parking Shuttle: Fans can park in the large commuter lot on Lemerand Dr., and take a FREE shuttle to Gate 2 of the O'Connell Center
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