University of Florida sophomore Ronni Williams led the Gators with 18 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting from the field, as UF never trailed in its 84-73 win over Jacksonville University in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Friday afternoon. Today's game was each squad's season opener, as the Orange and Blue started its 41st season and eighth under head coach Amanda Butler.
In addition to Williams, redshirt junior Cassie Peoples set up the Gators' offense, as she scored six points and dished out seven assists. Florida also had a pair of other double-figure scorers, as junior Antoinette Bannister and Kayla Lewis poured in 16 and 13 points, respectively.
UF dominated the battle in the paint, which proved to be the difference in the game, as the Gators held a 56-36 advantage down low. Also, after much of the team endured an assortment of injuries a season ago, Florida showed off its depth as the Gator bench outscored the Dolphins, 38-17.
After a back-and-forth first half where the Gators couldn't grow their lead bigger than eight points and held a 37-33 edge at the break, UF went on a 12-4 run early in the second half to secure the victory. The run was capped off by Bannister's layup at the 12:21 mark of the second half that ballooned the hosts' advantage to 12 points. UF never allowed its lead to go under four points for the remainder of the game.
The Gators have a quick turnaround, as the team is back in action on Monday, hosting Longwood at 4:15 p.m. in the O'Dome.
Postgame Press Conference Video (FREE): Head Coach Amanda Butler, Antoinette Bannister and Ronni Williams from GatorVision: http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=3535342&db_oem_id=6500
SEC Network + Recap Video: http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=3536502&db_oem_id=6500
Turning Point: After Jacksonville narrowed its deficit to four points, 41-37, with 15:30 remaining in the second half, Florida then went on a 6-0 run, capped off by Bannister at the 14:12 mark with an old-fashioned three-point-play. UF never trailed in the game.
Stat Line of the Game: Ronni Williams tallied 18 points (on 7-of-13 shooting), with five rebounds, two blocks and two assists
Series Update:
· Florida now leads the all-time series against Jacksonville, 3-1
· Friday's game was the first between the two programs since Dec. 30, 2009
Gator Debuts:
· Freshman Dyandria Anderson: Entered the game for the first time at 13:10 mark of the first half and played a total of 15 minutes. Anderson connected on her first basket at the 12:24 mark of the first half on a jumper in the paint. She finished the game with seven points, two rebounds and two assists.
· Freshman Brooke Copeland: Entered the game for the first time at 9:11 mark and played a total of seven minutes. Copeland recorded her first point as a Gator at the 7:55 mark of the first half with a free throw. She finished the game with seven points.
· Redshirt junior Viktorija Dimaite: Entered the game for the first time in her Gator career at 7:55 mark of the first half and played one minute.
· Freshman Haley Lorenzen: Entered the game for the first time at 15:51 mark of the first half and played a total of 23 minutes. Lorenzen made her first basket at the 13:17 mark of the first half on a layup and finished the game with eight points, four rebounds and three blocks.
Numbers of Note:
· The Gators went into the locker room with a 4-point lead, 37-33. UF went 16-3 a year ago when leading at the half
· Florida is now 38-2 under Amanda Butler when scoring in the 80's
· Kayla Lewis scored the first points of season for UF with an offensive put-back one minute into the contest that opened the scoring
· UF improved to 12-4 when wearing its all-white uniforms under Butler
Double-Figures:
· Ronni Williams (18), Antoinette Bannister (16) and Kayla Lewis (13) all scored in double-figures for the Gators
Streaks:
· Florida has won 23 of its last 24 home games versus non-conference foes
· Brooke Copeland connected on a three-pointer at the 2:22 mark of the first half, extending the Gators' consecutive games with a trey streak to 132
INDIVIDUALS
· Kayla Lewis made her 62nd career start and 34th consecutive as a Gator
· Carlie Needles recorded her 34th career start
· Cassie Peoples made her 26th career start and recorded her 200th career rebound in the first half
· January Miller notched her 23rd career start
· Ronni Williams recorded her 18th career start
Quotes from the Court:
Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler
Opening Statement:
“Individually, I think we have a lot of things to be really proud of. Obviously, these two ladies [Ronni Williams and Antoinette Bannister] set a great offensive tone for us. Our freshmen had a fantastic debut and I'm really proud of the way they played. We had some different combinations on the floor and they did a great job of separating things for us at different moments. We didn't do a good job of capitalizing on all of our opportunities and we have to do a much better job protecting the ball. All in all, there are a lot of positives for us to build on.”
On starting the season versus Jacksonville:
“I thought Jacksonville did a fantastic job and that should have been the first thing that I said. I thought they came in here with great spirit, energy and a high level of confidence. Defensively, I think that we rushed a little bit. We didn't shoot the ball too well from the three [point line] and that's not something we are really concerned with. We are getting high percentage shots and we have to make those matter. All in all, I thought Jacksonville did a fantastic job and showed a lot of fight and resilience. They are a great team to play against this early in the season and to be tested in specific ways. I think today is going to help us going forward.”
On Florida's opportunities in the post (The Gators out-scored the Dolphins in the paint, 56-36):
“We have a saying that we like three's but we love lay-ups. Ronni [Williams] and Haley [Lorenzen] did a great job of establishing the block. Those guys were really efficient down there. We did a good job of getting the ball to them as the game went on, getting them into positions where we could score and get a little bit of momentum. It was definitely something that we wanted to do. We always want to establish ourselves in the paint. That doesn't mean post scoring, sometimes that's off the dribble. That was definitely part of what we wanted to do.”
Florida sophomore G/F Ronni Williams
On today's season opener:
“We have been working hard since the summer so allowing us to be able to come out here and actually show what we've been working on is a blessing.”
On the Gators' strong free-throw shooting (13-of-14 in the second half):
“We shoot free throws all the time, on our own, before practices, during practices and after practice so we should make free throws. They are free.”
Florida junior G Antoinette Bannister:
On Florida's defense:
“I think this year we are really tough. At the beginning of the season in our workouts we had Camp Hector, which is all (about) defense. Just having our strength and conditioning coach (Tyler Stuart) work us through the summer, everything we do in and out of practice challenges our toughness. Pulling out this game was really big for us.”
Jacksonville Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin
On Jacksonville's missed opportunities in the second half and room for improvement:
“There were opportunities we had that we did not take advantage of. I thought we had a chance when we were down four (points) with three minutes to go and we put them on the free throw line and that was the difference. They made some big free throws and we didn't. There were little things, and those things matter. But, I saw a lot of great things with my team. I wanted to use this game to see where we were as a team, who I can count on now and who we need to be able to count on in the future.”
Next Game:
What: Longwood (0-0) at Florida (1-0)
When: Monday, Nov. 17, 2014 at 4:15 p.m.
Where: Stephen C. O'Connell Center * Gainesville, Fla.
Game Coverage & More!
· Radio: LIVE on ESPN850 (WRUF-AM) in Gainesville with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
· Internet Audio: LIVE thru www.GatorZone.com (FREE)
· Television: none
· Internet Video: LIVE on SEC Network+ with Brooke Thomas & Larry Vettel (subscription) (http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/channel/secplus)
· Tickets: $5 for reserved seats; $4 adult general admission; $2 for youth age 17 and under; FREE for UF students
· Parking: FREE in the O'Connell Center lot
Additional Hoopla for Monday's Game
· Key Tag Giveaway: The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free schedule key tag for Women's Basketball, Men's Basketball and Gymnastics.
· Rowdy Reptile Check-In: Students who check in from 4:15-5:15 p.m. receive 4 points toward their Rowdy Reptile Rewards. Students with a valid Gator 1 I.D. should report to Gate 2 to have their Gator 1's scanned.
· High Five Tunnel: Kids 12 and under will have the opportunity to high five the Gators as they enter the court.
For all of the latest information on Florida women's basketball:
Official Website: www.gatorzone.com/basketball/women
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FloridaWomensBasketball
Twitter: @GatorZoneWBK and @CoachButlerUF
Instagram: @gatorzonewbk
