Florida Plays Host to Old Dominion on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Monday, November 29, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Less than 72 hours after traveling 2,574 miles round trip to compete in and win the Dead River Company Classic hosted by the University of Maine, the Gators are back on the court where they play host to Old Dominion on Tuesday and tip-off from the O'Connell Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Monarchs (3-1) have already played a challenging slate, with games against Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Louisville under their belt. Three of ODU's four games have been decided by four points or less, with the 79-65 blowout win over North Carolina A&T the lone exception.
Jasmine Parker has been ODU's do-it-all player, as she leads the squad with 17.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 steals, while hitting a team-leading 10-of-27 three-pointers (37.5%) and 13-of-18 free throws (72.2%).
Tia Lewis also tallies 11.3 points with 5.3 rebounds and Alena Voronina contributes 10.5 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game, while hitting 66.7 percent from the floor.
“Old Dominion is really, really good. There are one of those teams that year in and year out if you have them on your schedule that you're going to have a quality opponent from a national perspective and this Old Dominion team certainly fits that description,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “They are very talented and return almost everyone from last season. (ODU Coach) Wendy Larry always has her team very prepared and dangerous in a lot of different ways. They have great balance and scorers at every spot. They do a really good job scoring in transition. I could go on and on about them.”
· VIDEO: Coach Butler Press Conference – FREE courtesy GatorVision OnLine
· VIDEO: Pre-Practice Interviews with Ndidi Madu, Ebonie Crawford and Deana Allen – FREE courtesy GatorVision OnLine
Florida (5-1) sports a modest three-game win streak entering Tuesday's game, having earned three victories over a five-day span.
Florida has been chilly - ice cold in fact - shooting the ball during the three-game run. The Gators are converting a mere 33.3 percent (66-198) during that span, including a 29.1 percent (16-55) mark from the three-point arc and 48.7 percent (19-39) from the free throw line.
The Gators, however, have won all three games, thanks in part to holding their opponents to a 30.0 percent (48-160) shooting effort.
“For us, a huge thing we learned from watching film from the weekend is executing better offensively,” Butler shared. “That is going to be a key for us against Old Dominion. We have to execute with a lot more precision and sharpness than we did in Maine.”
Florida's junior Azania Stewart has logged three double-doubles in six games this year, just missing out on two more after netting nine points in other games she collected double-figure rebounds. UF's 6-4 center is averaging 10.5 points and a team-leading 10.2 rebounds. Most impressive is that 31 of her 61 rebounds have come on the offensive end of the court.
Junior guard Jordan Jones continues to lead Florida in scoring, contributing 10.7 points per game, hitting 15-of-42 three-pointers. Lanita Bartley is averaging 7.8 points, while ranking second with 4.8 rebounds and a team-best 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals.
Tuesday marks the third meeting between the two programs, with Florida winning last year's 81-67 game in Norfolk and Old Dominion taking the heart-breaking 53-51 decision on March 24, 1997. That loss marked the end of the greatest season in Gator women's basketball history, as the team had marched into the NCAA Regional Final.
That 1997 game also was the last time Amanda Butler stood on the sideline as an assistant coach for the Gators. Current UF assistant coach Murriel Page was a junior starter on that team and had one of the three Gator shot attempts in the final moments that could have tied the game.
All six of Florida's games this season have been decided by 10 points or fewer, with three being by six-point or less.
Game Day Information
Florida (5-1) hosts Old Dominion (3-1)
Tue., November 30, 2010 - 7 pm ET
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,000) * Gainesville, Fla.
· Old Dominion Game Notes (PDF) – to come
Game Coverage
Radio: LIVE on WBXY-FM 99.5 “The Star” in Gainesville, called by Adam Schick and Brittany Davis
Internet Audio: LIVE thru www.GatorZone.com (FREE)
Internet Video: LIVE on GatorVision.tv thru GatorZone.com (fee based)
LIVE Stats: GameTracker (FREE)
Television: None
TV Satellite Feed/ XOS Digital XChange: available within 2 hours after the conclusion of the game
Tickets: $5 for reserved seats; $4 adult general admission; $2 for youth age 17 and under; FREE for UF and Santa Fe students
Head Coaches
Florida (5-1): Amanda Butler (Florida, BS '95, MS '97)
Records (overall / at UF): 103-62 (sixth year) / 63-40 (fourth year)
Old Dominion (3-1): Wendy Larry (Old Dominion, '77)
Records (overall / at ODU): 590-224 (27th year) / 542-193 (24th year)
Last TimeOut... Next TimeOut
Florida - Last Game: Sat., Nov. 27 vs. Navy: W, 52-43
Florida - Next Game: Sat., Dec. 4 vs. Providence: 4 pm (at Brown Tourn. in R.I)
Old Dominion - Last Game: Fri., Nov. 26 hosted Louisville: W, 69-65
Old Dominion - Next Game: Sun., Dec. 5 host Tennessee: 2 pm
Additional Hoopla For Today's Game
· Two For Tuesday: All tickets buy 1 get 1 free!
· Season Ticket Holder/Gold Card/Back Court Club Appreciation Night:
· All Back Court Club members, Gold Card, and Season Ticket holders receive 4 complimentary vouchers with a free admission!
· Pre-game social at Gate 3 lobby with free pizza and drinks. Pep talk from Assistant Coach Murriel Page. Vouchers for food and game tickets available for up to 4 guests!
