Florida Plays at Vanderbilt Thursday
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Florida has just two regular-season games remaining beginning with Thursday's game at Vanderbilt that tips-off from Memorial Gym beginning at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT).
The game, which is the Gator's final road contest of the regular-season, will be televised live on CSS (Comcast Sports South, in Gainesville on COX channel 259). The radio broadcast can be heard on WBXY-FM 99.5 “The Star” in Gainesville and on WXFJ-AM (930) in Jacksonville. The audio also can be heard live online for free through www.GatorZone.com, the official website of the Florida Gators.
Thursday's game is the second of two regular-season meetings between Florida and Vanderbilt, which won the 103-97 double-overtime thriller in Gainesville on Feb. 6.
Seventeen of UF's 28 games this year have been decided by 10 points or fewer, with 12 being six-point difference. The Gators are 9-8 in games decided by 10 points or less this season.
The Gators enjoyed a much-needed midweek bye and topped Mississippi State on Sunday, 78-63, in Gainesville. The 14-point win was Florida's largest in a Southeastern Conference game this year.
Vanderbilt was without the services of leading scorer Jence Rhoads and dropped an 80-71 decision to No. 19 Kentucky on Sunday in Nashville.
All 12 SEC schools have two games remaining before the SEC Tournament, held March 3-6 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The only seed locked up is the No. 1 spot by Tennessee, which has a four-game lead against the rest of the league.
Vanderbilt holds a 30-18 lead against Florida, including a 15-5 advantage in games played at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt has won seven straight against the Gators, as well as nine of the last 10 meetings. Florida's seven-game losing streak to Vanderbilt is its longest active slide against any SEC team. Florida's last win in the series was back on Jan. 22, 2006, when the Gators topped the Commodores, 73-59, in the O'Connell Center. The last time the Gators topped Vanderbilt in Nashville, however, was back on Jan. 11, 2004, when Florida won the 92-83 shoot-out.
Vanderbilt has traditionally been one of the most accurate shooting teams in the country and the 2010-11 Commodores are no exception. Vanderbilt is hitting 45.3 percent overall from the floor, the second-best mark in the SEC. The squad also hits a steady 34.6 percent mark from the three-point arc, averaging 5.7 treys per game.
Jordan Jones leads the balanced Gator scoring effort, recording 9.4 points per game, hitting a team-leading 53 three-pointers at a 35.6 percent clip and playing 32.4 minutes per outing.
Azania Stewart is Florida's leading rebounder with 6.0 per game and hits 53.1 percent field goal mark (Stewart led the SEC in field goal percentage last year, 61.9%). Her 52 blocked shots is also tops for the Gators and second in the SEC.
Lanita Bartley is dishing 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals, while finding her way to the free throw a team-best 111 times.
During the last FIVE games, Jennifer George is averaging a team-best 13.2 points and 8.2 rebounds, while hitting 64.3 percent (27-42) from the floor. Against Mississippi State (Feb. 20), George tied her career-high of 21 points, shooting 7-of-7 from the floor and blocking three shots in the win. Bartley also has stepped up her game recently, averaging 12.0 points and collecting 13 steals in the Gator's last FIVE contests, which includes a career-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting against MSU (Feb. 20).
Game Day Information
Florida Gators (15-13, 5-9 SEC) at the Vanderbilt Commodores (18-9, 9-5 SEC)
Thursday, February 24, 2011 - 9 pm ET
Memorial Gym (14,168) - Nashville, Tenn.
Game Coverage & More!
Radio: LIVE on WBXY-FM 99.5 “The Star” in Gainesville and WXFJ-AM (930) in Jacksonville called by Adam Schick and Brittany Davis
Internet Audio: LIVE thru www.GatorZone.com (FREE)
Internet Video: none
Television: LIVE on CSS (Comcast Sports South, in Gainesville on COX channel 259) with Matt Stewart & Joe Ciampi
