Butler hopes Gators get NCAA Tournament bid after late-season improvement
Friday, March 4, 2011 | Women's Basketball, Men's Golf, Scott Carter
The UF women's basketball team, playing in an arena packed with Tennessee fans, trailed the Lady Vols by just two points at halftime Friday in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville.
The second half was more difficult due to Tennessee's Glory Johnson, who scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Lady Vols to a 92-75 win over the Gators (18-14). For a team that lost to Tennessee (29-2) twice during the regular season -- by 43 points at home and 22 on the road -- Florida's late-season improvement was evident until center Azania Stewart and forward Jennifer George fouled out.
The Gators had won four consecutive games until Friday and head coach Amanda Butler hopes they get a chance to continue improving with an NCAA Tournament bid.
"Really, really proud of our fight,'' Butler said following the game. "I told the team in the locker room there were a lot of things we could have done better, but there's no way we could of fought any harder than we did. However, we didn't just come up here to put up a good fight.
"We're disappointed we lost.''
At 18-14, the Gators are guaranteed of a winning season after finishing 15-17 a year ago. Whether their late-season improvement is enough to convince the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee that they belong in March Madness remains unknown.
Butler shared her thoughts on the subject Friday.
"We feel we're playing our best basketball right now, feel good about our team going forward,'' she said. "We hope we get the opportunity to show that we're one of the best teams in the country.''
To read more of Butler's comments and those of players Deana Allen and Ndidi Madu, click on this link.
To read what Tennessee head coach Pat Summit and Lady Vols Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen had to say, click this link.
Check GatorZone.com later for more on today's game.
