Women's Basketball Returns to Action on Sunday at Ole Miss
Saturday, January 30, 2010 | Women's Basketball
The Gators are coming off a mid-week bye and return to the court on Sun., Jan. 31, when they travel to Oxford and play Ole Miss in the C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum, where tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).
The game will be televised live on FOX Sports Net, which airs on numerous FSN regional sports networks. In the state of Florida, it will air on FOX Sports Florida in North/Central Florida territory and on Sun Sports in South Florida territory. Fans should take note that there is another women's basketball on the network prior to this game and the Gator contest may be joined in progress as a result.
Sunday's game also can be viewed on the internet through ESPN360.com, while the live radio broadcast can be heard in Gainesville on WBXY-FM (The Star 99.5), as well as through www.GatorZone.com, the official website of the Florida Gators.
Florida's last game was a hard-fought 59-56 victory against South Carolina on Jan. 24, as was the lone home game during a four-game stretch for Florida when three of the four have been away from the friendly confines of the O'Connell Center. Following Sunday's affair, the Gators begin a three-game SEC homestand.
Ole Miss is coming off a two-game road swing that began with the team's impressive 66-65 victory against Georgia in Athens and ended with Thursday's 64-50 loss at South Carolina, snapping the Lady Rebels' five-game winning streak that had propelled the team into a tie for first in the SEC standings. Ole Miss is the fifth of Florida's last six opponents that is at least receiving votes at game-time in the national polls.
“Ole Miss is playing very, very well. When you look at their personnel, they are mostly a senior-laden team,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “Bianca Thomas is leading our league in scoring and has put on some phenomenal shows as a shooter this year so we know we have got to put one of our best performances together. Aside from their personnel and what they can do to you individually, they are just playing with a lot of confidence. You don't beat the teams that they have on the road that they have unless you're playing with a lot of confidence and that's where they are right now.”
Entering Sunday's game, Florida (11-9, 4-3 SEC) is in sixth place in the Southeastern Conference standings, a half-game behind Georgia and Mississippi State, which both sport a 5-3 record. Ole Miss (14-6, 5-2 SEC) is tied for second with Kentucky (5-2), trailing Tennessee (6-1).
Sunday's game will be Florida's eighth in its 16-game SEC schedule. The Gators will be aiming to conclude the first-half of its league slate one-game above the .500 mark. Florida's final eight SEC games feature home battles against Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, LSU, Georgia and Alabama, as well as road dates at Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
“I really like what we've done so far in every SEC game,” Butler said. “With the exception of the Alabama game, we've competed hard in every ball game we've either won of have been in position to win each of those games.”
Six of UF's seven SEC games have been decided by single digits, with only the 24-point blowout against Alabama the exception. Florida's 59-56 win over South Carolina on Jan. 24 was the team's ninth game this season decided by 10 or fewer points. The Gators are 4-5 in those contests.
Florida holds a slim 15-12 lead in the series against Ole Miss, including the Gators' 72-66 victory last year in Oxford, where they overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to post the comeback which tied for the second-largest rally in program history. Eight of the last 11 games in the series have been decided by single digits, including three of the last four meetings.
Ole Miss is tied for second in the SEC standings, just falling out of first place after Thursday's 64-50 loss at South Carolina. The Lady Rebels had won five consecutive league games before the tough road setback.
On Jan. 24, Ole Miss defeated Georgia in Athens, conquering the only SEC site the Lady Rebels had never before earned a win in during the program's history. That historic victory move the Lady Rebels into a tie for first in the SEC standings. Ole Miss boasts the SEC's second-most potent offense, averaging 75.6 points per game, leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) and ranks second with 7.3 three-pointers per outing.
It's not just one player who headlines the Ole Miss squad, as several different Lady Rebels sit among the SEC statistical leaders. Senior Bianca Thomas leads the potent offensive in the league and is the SEC's leading scorer in conference games, averaging 21.1 points per game entering Sunday's game. UM also boasts two of the league's top three stat leaders for assists, with junior Kayla Melson topping the chart with 6.3 assists and sophomore Shantell Black with 4.5 per game. Black also is the SEC's 3-point FG percentage leader, hitting 47.5 percent from long range. Sophomore Nikki Byrd leads the conference with a 63.4 percent field goal mark.
Over the last five games, Florida senior Sharielle Smith is averaging a UF-best 8.6 points per game and grabbing 5.8 rebounds. Senior Steffi Sorensen has been the next leading scorer with 8.0 points, hitting 12-of-36 three-pointers, and grabbing a team-high 6.4 rebounds during the span. Seniors Jennifer Mossor and Lonnika Thompson both have dished 12 assists over the last five games.
UF sophomore Jordan Jones leads the Gators overall in scoring (10.1 ppg), assists (3.0) and steals (1.6) and ranks second for made three-pointers (40) and for minutes played (27.6).
Game Day Information
What: Florida (11-9, 4-3 SEC) at Ole Miss (14-6, 5-2 SEC)
When: Sunday, January 31, 2010 * 3 p.m. ET (2 pm CT)
Where: Oxford, Miss. * C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum (8,910)
Radio: LIVE on WBXY-FM (The Star 99.5) in Gainesville with Adam Schick & Steve Russell
Internet Audio: LIVE thru GatorZone.com (FREE of charge)
Internet Video: LIVE thru ESPN360.com
Television: LIVE on FOX Sports Net [may be joined in progress], which airs on numerous FSN regional sports networks (in the state of Florida, it will air on FOX Sports Florida in North/Central Florida territory and on Sun Sports in South Florida territory) with Rich Waltz and Carol Ross
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