Florida Opens WNIT Hosting UMBC on Friday at 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 17, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Florida plays host to UMBC in the first round of the Postseason Women's NIT on Friday in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County - or UMBC - won the America East Conference regular-season title for the first time in program history. The Retrievers (20-11) entered the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed, but fell to host and fourth-seeded Hartford, which won the tournament title and the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championships.
With an NCAA RPI of No. 43 (in the NCAA's RPI listing as of March 7) and a strength of schedule rated No. 11 through games played March 13), Florida was able to earn its 17th postseason berth in the last 19 years.
Florida's inclusion in the WNIT field is the program's fourth consecutive postseason appearance - every year under head coach Amanda Butler.
· WATCH the practice update interviews with Jordan Jones, Brittany Shine, Ndidi Madu and Lanita Bartley – FREE courtesy of GatorVision Online
· WATCH the practice update interview with head coach Amanda Butler – FREE courtesy of GatorVision Online
“We knew that we were a postseason team when the year began and twists and turns throughout the season have brought us here,” Butler said. “We're excited about having an opponent to prepare for and to have a team to focus on in practice this week. We've had some great practices with a lot of energy following the SEC Tournament and I really feel like we've gotten better and that's been our primary goal all year long.”
The 2011 event is Florida's fifth appearances in the postseason WNIT since the event's inception in 1998. The Gator's best showing came in 2000 when they reached the final, falling to Wisconsin, 75-74, in the title game. Last year, UF lost in the second round at Miami, which advanced to the championship game. In 2008, the Gators reached the quarterfinals, where they lost at N.C. State. In 2005 Florida dropped a tough first-round contest to USF in Tampa.
The Retrievers have won seven of their last eight games, as well as 11 of their last 13 entering Friday's game.
Florida (18-14) ended its regular season winning three consecutive Southeastern Conference games, as the squad earned victories against Mississippi State (78-63 - its largest margin of victory in an SEC game this year), at Vanderbilt (74-69 - in Nashville, where the Gators last won on Feb. 1, 2004) and at home against No. 22-ranked Georgia (74-71 - stretching its home win streak vs. Georgia to a program-record three). The Gators then added one more win to its late-season win streak, defeating Arkansas, 68-59, in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
UMBC is an experienced team that starts two seniors and three juniors, led by first-team All-America East Conference honorees Erin Brown and Michelle Kurowski.
“UMBC is a very talented and well-coached team,” Butler said. “They have first-team all-conference members in their starting five. They have some players who can really score. They run a Princeton-type offense so there's players who make great reads and are very versatile. They've also played great competition. Like several teams, they are probably surprised they aren't in the NCAA Tournament.”
The 2010-11 squad is one win shy of setting a new program record, currently sharing the all-time record of 20 with the 1985-86 team.
UMBC averages 57.1 points per game, but is 13-1 this year when scoring at least 60 points. Opponents manage a mere 55.9 points against the Retrievers, who hit 73.4 percent from the free throw line.
Junior Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.) leads the balanced Gator scoring effort, recording 10.0 points per game, hitting a team-leading 66 three-pointers at a 37.9 percent clip and playing 32.7 minutes per outing.
Junior Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) is Florida's leading rebounder with 6.1 per game and hits 51.2 percent field goal mark (Stewart led the SEC in field goal percentage last year, 61.9%). Her 56 blocked shots is also tops for the Gators and second in the SEC. Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) is dishing 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals, while finding her way to the free throw a team-best 126 times.
Nine different Gators contribute at least 5.6 points per game, with 10 of the 12 reptiles averaging at least 13 minutes of playing time per contest.
Florida sports a modest 10-game non-conference home winning streak, including a 7-0 record this year. It's tied for the sixth-longest streak in program history.
In three-plus years under head coach Amanda Butler, Florida is 49-17 overall (74.2%) at home, including a 11-4 record this year.
Game Day Information
Florida Gators (18-14, 7-9 SEC) host the UMBC Retrievers (20-11, 13-3 America East)
2011 WNIT First Round
Friday, March 18 * 7 p.m. ET
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,000) * Gainesville, Fla.
Game Day Coverage & More!
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 thru www.GatorVision.tv (FREE)
LIVE Streaming Stats: GameTracker
Television: none
Tickets: ALL General Admission: $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and youth ages 12 and under. UF and Santa Fe students with a valid ID will be admitted FREE of charge.
