Gators Send Senior Class Out in Style in O'Dome Finale
Friday, February 24, 2012 | Women's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Her team was blowing out Mississippi State Tuesday night, yet with just over two minutes to play Florida coach Amanda Butler subbed in her five seniors, three of them starters, to ride out their careers together for one more run on the home floor.
So forgive that quintet of Gators for the way they hooped and hollered when guard Jordan Jones bombed in her sixth three-pointer of the night with just 16 seconds to touch of a celebratory sendoff and 79-45 drubbing of Mississippi State at the O'Connell Center.
“It's special,” said Jones, the fifth-year senior who led all scorers with 18 points on 6-for-12 marksmanship from long-distance. “This is the closest team I've ever been a part of, as far as no drama. We love hanging out with each other off the court, and it attributes to how we play.”
At the moment, that would be very well.
Good timing, too.
In winning for the fifth time in the last seven games, the Gators (18-10, 8-7) clinched no worse than a break-even mark in the Southeastern Conference standings and continued building on their resume` for the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since the 2008-09 season.
After Jones' hot hand, senior center Azania Stewart scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while junior forward Jennifer George was good for 12 points and eight rebounds. Every UF player who dressed out scored, adding to a collective effort that also showed a gaudy 51 rebounds (including 14 on the offensive end), 23 assists and 12-for-14 at the free-throw line.
For Coach Amanda Butler, it was a nice follow-up to Sunday's upset of 18th-ranked Georgia, as the margin of victory was the largest against any opponent this season.
“Really big win for us and I think it was really important for a lot of reasons, but most importantly to finish out for these seniors here on their home court in a big fashion,” Butler said. “This is how we like to win. We shot it well from the line, won the rebounding battle convincingly, had great balance, more assists than turnovers. ... .”
She smiled.
“And it's going to be really important that we produce a box score similar to this on our next trip.”
That would be Knoxville to face a Tennessee team that not only lost Thursday night at home against Arkansas, but could very well be playing its final game at Thompson-Boling Arena for coaching legend Pat Summitt.
But Butler and her players have the weekend to worry about that one.
Thursday was about the O'Dome saying goodbye to its seniors in style, and the Gators wasted no time setting the tone, jumping to an 11-0 lead -- on a trio of 3-pointers, two by Jones -- and building on that start while the Bulldogs (14-14, 4-11) missed their first five field-goal attempts and started 1-for-9 from the floor.
UF led 33-18 at halftime, but shot 51.5 percent after intermission, eventually forcing 21 turnovers that converted to 28 points, holding Mississippi State 30.9 percent shooting (just 18.8 percent from the arc) and its fifth-lowest scoring output of the season.
“From our standpoint, not the effort you have to play with in any game in the SEC. From Florida's standpoint, the effort of a team that's trying to get into the NCAA Tournament and finish as strong as they can,” said MSU coach Sharon Fanning-Otis, who is retiring after this season following a 36-year career and 608 career victories. “This time of year, you gotta have a punch.”
Appropriate word, as the Gators are trying to punch a ticket to the dance. They started the week with an RPI of 32nd and the 10th-toughest schedule in the country. The more they can add to that, the more they make an easier decision for the selection committee.
Butler, whose team is 4-2 this month with close losses at ranked South Carolina and at Vanderbilt, did some first-class lobbying for those NCAA honchos afterward.
“There's no question in my mind we should be there,” she said. “The great thing about [it], is there are still opportunities. That's what we've got to be focused on. These guys, this team, deserve it and is certainly in that top echelon of teams in the country. There's not a doubt in my mind.”
They'll have to chance to leave no doubt in anyone's mind Sunday.
“Obviously, there's still work to do, and, obviously, still chances to go to work on the biggest stage in college basketball -- in Knoxville,” Jones said. “I know if I'm another team, Florida is not a team I would want to play. I think we're a scary team.”
Definitely a happy one.
