Women's Hoops Hosts LSU on "Family 4 Pack Sunday" at 1 p.m.
Saturday, January 14, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Florida looks to find a way to halt its two-game slide when the Gators play host to LSU on Sunday in the O'Connell Center, where tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
It's a “Family 4 Pack Sunday” where fans can receive 4 general admission tickets, 4 hot dogs, and 4 sodas for only $20.
The Gators have struggled mightily in the first half of their last two games, finding themselves in halftime holes of 31-15 against South Carolina and 29-16 at Georgia. Florida recovered in the second half when it outscored both foes, 29-18 and 39-32, respectively, but lost both games - falling to the Gamecocks by five points and to the Bulldogs by six.
LSU features one of the nation's best defenses, ranked No. 2 for field goal percentage defense (29.9%) and No. 3 for scoring defense (46.6 ppg), through games played Jan. 12.
Last Sunday, the Gators ran into a South Carolina defensive unit that entered the game ranked as the nation's second-ranked scoring defense, allowing opponents just 45.3 points per game. USC also featured the nation's third-ranked three-point field goal defense, as opponents manage to hit a mere 21.6 percent per game. Florida scored 44 total points and converted only 1-of-10 three-point attempts in the five-point loss to the Gamecocks.
Florida has played 45 games over the last two-plus seasons with outcomes decided by 10 points or less, posting a 24-21 record in those tight ballgames. Seven games fit into that category this year, when UF has posted a 2-5 record. All four SEC games this season have been decided by six points or less.
Gator senior Deana Allen is a native of Houma, La., located just 65 miles from Baton Rouge. Tiger junior Bianca Lutley is a Pensacola, Fla.- native, while freshman Anne Pedersen, who is from Denmark, attended The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla., with Gator freshman Viktorija Dimaite, who is redshirting the 2011-12 season.
LSU holds a 24-9 all-time lead in the 33-game series versus Florida, including an 11-5 record in Gainesville, as well as a 12-3 mark in Baton Rouge. The Lady Tigers have won the last five meetings and 11 of the last 12 against the Gators, as well as 14 of the previous 16 outings. Over the last 12 games, LSU has won those 11 games by an average of 21.8 points. Florida's most recent win in the series was the 79-78 stunner on Feb. 16, 2006, when the unranked Gators shocked the No. 2/3-ranked Lady Tigers, marking the highest-ranked opponent Florida has ever defeated.
Florida is 4-for-6 this season in avenging losses from last year, turning the table in its favor against Florida State, Hampton and Charlotte, but falling to Kentucky and at Georgia. The next team the Gators are scheduled to play that defeated them last season is LSU on Jan. 15.
Junior forward Jennifer George leads UF in scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (10.0 rpg), an effort that ranks second in the SEC. She has posted 10 double-doubles this year - and 14 in her career). George recently compiled a streak of eight consecutive double-doubles, a run that ranked tied as the fourth-longest in UF history. The run ended at Georgia on Jan. 12, when she posted 15 points with eight rebounds. George also has a team-high 14 double-figure scoring games.
Senior Jordan Jones has been doing a bit of everything for the Gators this year, contributing 12.6 points, in addition to 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals, while hitting 39-of-112 treys (34.8%). Jones had converted at least one three-point attempt in 11 consecutive games before going 0-3 from beyond the arc against South Carolina on Jan. 8. This was her career third double-digit streak of converting three-pointers in a game, having already notched runs of 23 and 16. She has at least one three-pointer in all except two games this year.
Senior Deana Allen has provided Florida with a definite spark off the bench in every game she's played this year, averaging 8.6 points (fourth on team) and 6.1 rebounds (second on team), with a team-leading 2.0 steals. She hits 34.6 percent from the three-point arc (the second-highest on the team) and 71.8 percent from the free throw line (second-highest percentage).
The only game Allen has missed this year was the season-opener against Michigan when she sat out to recover from a concussion.
Allen did make her first start of the year on Jan. 8 against South Carolina, responding with nine points, a season-high 10 rebounds and a team-best three assists with a pair of steals. She followed that with another start and a 14-point, six-rebound, four-steal performance at Georgia.
Game Day Information
Florida Gators (11-6, 1-3 SEC) host the LSU Lady Tigers (13-3, 4-0 SEC)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,373) - Gainesville, Fla.
FLORIDA GAME NOTES (PDF)
Game 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: none
Internet Scoring: LIVE thru www.GatorZone.com (FREE)
Television: CSS (Comcast Sports South) with Bernie Guenther & Joe Ciampi
Tickets: *Family 4 Pack Sunday: 4 general admission tickets, 4 hot dogs, and 4 sodas for only $20!
$5 for reserved seats; $4 adult general admission;$2 for youth age 17 and under; FREE for UF and Santa Fe students
Parking: FREE in the O'Connell Center parking lot
Opening Tip
*UF has played 45 games over the last two-plus seasons decided by 10 pts or less; 7 this year, including all 4 SEC games which have been decided by 6 points or fewer
*the Gators have won the rebounding battle in 13 of 17 games this year
*Jennifer George ranks T-No. 4 in the NCAA with 10 double-doubles; and No. 7 for field goal percentage (58.1%)
*Azania Stewart has 173 career blocked shots, third all-time at UF
Additional Hoopla For Today's Game
Sunday, January 15, 1 PM - LSU
*Family 4 Pack Sunday: 4 general admission tickets, 4 hot dogs, and 4 sodas for only $20!
*Alligator Alley also will be open pregame inside the O'Connell Center from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Fans can check www.GatorZone.com for more information about the fun before the game.
*Champions of Character will be honored at halftime and those attending can check-in beginning at 12:30 p.m. inside the Gate 2 lobby.
*Fans can stick around after the game for autographs with the entire Gator squad, which will be at the Gate 4 lobby signing the team's schedule poster.
