Butler pushing Gators to make strong final impression on NCAA Tournament Selection Committee
Monday, February 20, 2012 | Women's Basketball, Men's Tennis, Scott Carter
The past week was one of highs and lows for the Gators women's basketball team.
The low came in an overtime loss at Vanderbilt when officials failed to notice the game clock didn't move for 13 seconds late in regulation, giving the Commodores time to hit a prayer 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime and win the game.
The high came Sunday afternoon at the O'Connell Center when the Gators upset No. 16-ranked Georgia on Senior Day.
With two regular-season games remaining – Thursday at home against Mississippi State and Sunday at Tennessee – both are crucial to Florida's NCAA Tournament aspirations.
The Gators (17-10, 7-7) are clearly on the bubble. Six SEC teams already have 20 wins and LSU, a team the Gators swept, is 19-8 with two games to play.
Florida coach Amanda Butler hopes the SEC gets eight teams into the NCAA Tournament for obvious reasons. When it's time for the NCAA Selection Committee to decide on the at-large teams, Butler wants them to consider the week that was for the Gators.
“We've given the committee a lot of things to consider this week,'' Butler said Monday. “Certainly when you look at the controversy that surrounded our Vanderbilt loss, some of those things have got to be taken into consideration. That will hopefully weigh heavily on them. It makes giant statements that our team is not only good enough but is deserving of one of those spots.”
While the loss at Vanderbilt was one of Florida's most disappointing in Butler's five seasons, Sunday's home win over Georgia was one of the more gratifying. The Gators have struggled to finish off opponents late in games, but thanks to Lanita Bartley's clutch free-throw shooting, Florida was able to hold off the Bulldogs and earn their fifth consecutive win at the O'Dome.
Florida improved to 3-9 in games decided by six points or less.
“Any way you can generate some momentum, which is really just a different way of saying we feel confident about ourselves, is crucial,'' Butler said. “More than anything it was just important for our team to rebound from the emotional disappointment they felt in Nashville.”
The Gators close out the home portion of the schedule Thursday against Mississippi State in the Bulldogs' first game since head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis announced Monday that she is retiring at the end of the season.
Fanning-Otis is in her 36th season as a head women's coach, making stops at UT-Chattanooga, Kentucky and Mississippi State, where she directed the Bulldogs to 11 postseason appearances.
“Coach Fanning is one of the deans in our league,'' Butler said. “She does a fantastic job for all the years I've watched her coach or competed against her, her teams always play with so much effort and fight.”
While the rebound against Georgia was one of the Gators' highlights of the season, they can't let up.
Not with what's at stake.
“You've got to have that same sort of spirit coming off the heels of a big win,'' Butler said. “I think we're pretty close to [playing our best of the season]. I think we are getting much, much closer to what we want 40 minutes to look like.”
