The University of Florida women's basketball team committed a season-high 28 turnovers that Alabama converted into 24 points in handing the Gators a 64-59 loss in the historic and newly renovated 3,800-seat Foster Auditorium Sunday afternoon in front of 2,536.
The Gators led 34-24 at halftime, but committed 11 turnovers before making their first field goal in the second half, with seven consecutive miscues fueling the Crimson Tide's 13-1 run, as they took the lead and never relinquished it.
“It was an absolute lack of composure in turning the ball over,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We played a pretty decent first half and came out and did everything we possibly could to ensure that we weren't going to win.
“We had absolute mental collapses. Were they pressuring us? Absolutely. We knew that was going to happen. We just didn't bring the intensity level and readiness. It's just really, really disappointing,” Butler continued.
Post players Ndidi Madu (Antioch, Tenn.), Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) and Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) accounted for 36 of Florida's points, with 16, 10 and 10, respectively.
Madu also led UF's rebounding efforts with 10 to net her third career double-double. George grabbed nine rebounds, while Deana Allen (Houma, La.) added seven, as the Gators (14-13, 4-9 SEC) held a commanding 44-27 rebounding advantage and scored 30 points in the paint.
Alabama's Tierney Jenkins led all scorers with 19 points and nine steals, while Kaneisha Horn and Ericka Russell both added 12 points for the Crimson Tide (13-12, 2-10 SEC).
Sunday's outcome was UF's 17th this season decided by 10 points or less, with this being the 12th decision by six points or less.
Alabama scored the first four points of the second half, while Florida committed a turnover on its first three possessions and had its 10-point halftime lead reduced to six points.
Lanita Bartley connected on one free throw, but the Gators turned the ball over twice more before even attempting a shot.
The Crimson Tide didn't help themselves while the Gators had trouble maintaining possession, committing three miscues themselves.
UF's sixth turnover three and a half minutes into the second half, however, did result in two Alabama points, as Kaneisha Horn stole the ball and completed the layup that cut UF's lead to four and forced the Gator to call a timeout.
Another possession and another turnover ended with Ericka Russell hitting a deep jumper and cut Florida's lead to two, 35-33, with 15:52 on the clock.
Stunningly, the Gator's next offensive stint produced similar results, with a turnover that became two more points for the Tide, who tied the game at 35 with 15:29 remaining.
The Gators again turned the ball over and Russell nailed a deep jumper that gave Alabama the 37-35 lead.
Alabama was unable to capitalize on UF's 10th miscue of the half and Ndidi Madu (Antioch, Tenn.) finally ended the Gator scoring drought with a 15-footer at the 14:02 mark.
Horn then nailed a bucket inside, before Madu tied the game with a pair of free throws with 13:10 remaining, as Horn was whistled for her fourth personal.
Varisia Raffington then sparked a 7-0 Alabama run, with Jasmine Robinson knocking down a trey as the shot clock expired and Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) getting called for her fourth personal foul with 11:41 to play.
Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) ended the spurt with a bucket, but Russell hit a three-pointer and Alabama led by eight, 49-41, with 10:29 remaining.
Madu stepped up with another 15-footer, but Alabama countered with the next four points and extended its lead to 10 points with 8:51 to play.
UF's season-high 25th turnover occurred with 5:51 remaining and Alabama managed to score off the record miscue and kept the Gators at a nine-point distance.
In spite of the their turnover woes, the Gators wouldn't go quietly and used a 7-0 run with three-pointers from Deana Allen (Houma, La.) and Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) and closed within two points, 57-55, with 4:03 remaining and Alabama called a timeout.
The Tide settled down and Horn came back onto the court and sank an acrobatic hook shot.
The turnover bug again bit the Gators, who committed two more on their next two possessions, as Alabama was able to convert on the last one and extended its lead back to six, 61-55, with 2:23 to play.
Madu hit an inside bucket and had the Gators back within four with 1:52 remaining and had a chance to cut the deficit even more, but turned the ball over again on an in-bounds play.
Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) was able to sink a driving layup in the waning seconds, but it wasn't enough as the Gator lost their fourth consecutive game.
Horn's short jumper 47 seconds into the game were the first points scored in the newly renovated building and Florida's Ndidi Madu (Antioch, Tenn.) followed a minute later to net the initial points by an opponent, as the teams traded scores early before Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.) knocked down a three-pointer and Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) sank her first of five first-half field goals and gave the Gators an early 7-4 lead.
Tierney Jenkins came back and had the hosts within one point again, but Stewart struck again and Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) converted her first of two three-point plays in the first half and gave UF a 12-6 advantage.
The teams exchanged scorers for next three minutes, before Madu hit a 12-footer and Stewart's inside shot gave UF a 21-13 lead with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half.
Both squads again traded buckets, with Alabama getting a three from Shafontaye Myers that cut UF's lead to five, 25-20, with 6:16 to play.
That's when the Gators used a 7-0 spurt, with five points from Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.), who hit three free throws after being fouled attempting a shot from beyond the arc, and Madu accounting for the other two that stretched UF's lead to 12 points, 32-20, with 3:05 on the clock.
Jenkins scored the next four points of the game, before George ended a press breaker with a layin and ended the first half's scoring with Florida holding a 34-24 lead.
Florida's post players accounted for 24 of its 34 points during the first frame, as the Gators held a 24-17 rebounding, with 10 coming on the offensive end.
Florida has a midweek bye and returns to competition on Sun., Feb. 20, when the team plays host to Mississippi State in the O'Connell Center beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The unusually late start time is to accommodate a live television broadcast, as Sun Sports airs the game statewide. Live streaming video of Sunday's game also will be available to viewers through www.GatorVision.tv, while the radio broadcast can be heard live on the internet for free at www.GatorZone.com, and live in Gainesville on WBXY-FM 99.5 and in Jacksonville on WXFJ-AM 930.
Sunday also is Florida's WBCA Pink Zone game, an initiative to help raise awareness for breast cancer.
Including the Feb. 20 contest against Mississippi State, Florida has just three regular-season games remaining before the start of the SEC Tournament, held March 3-6 in Nashville.
