Behind 12 points from junior January Miller, the Florida Gator women's basketball team (5-4) nearly pulled off a late second half comeback against the Wisconsin Badgers (3-5) on Wednesday night at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, but fell short, 51-48.
Down by three points with just five seconds left in the game, Cassie Peoples attempted a game-tying three-pointer that would have sent the game into overtime, but the shot fell just short and ended the Gators' furious last-minute effort at a victory.
In the first half, Florida took an early 8-7 lead off threes from Brooke Copeland and Miller. Wisconsin answered with an 11-4 run, giving the visiting Badgers an 18-12 lead with 9:07 remaining in the first frame.
Florida responded to the Wisconsin run with three-straight baskets, including back-to-back layups by Antoinette Bannister, which evened the score at 18 with 6:42 left in the first stanza.
The two schools traded baskets for the remainder of the second half and the score was tied, 29-29, with under 15 seconds on the clock before Bannister nailed a pull-up jumper from the top of the key to give the Gators a two-point advantage, 31-29, going into the second frame.
Miller led all Florida scorers with 10 points in the first half on 4-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. In addition, UF received a big boost from its bench, as its reserves outscored the Badgers' bench, 16-12, in the first.
Wisconsin opened the second half on a 12-4 run, stealing the momentum and gaining a 41-35 advantage at the 14:37 mark. After taking the lead at the 18:15 mark in the second, the Badgers never trailed the rest of the way, leading by as many as 12 points in the half.
The Gators would not surrender, despite playing catch up the majority of the second half.
Trailing 49-27 with 7:20 remaining in the game, the UF defense tightened and held Wisconsin to just two points the rest of the second half. Florida's offense methodically shrunk Wisconsin's lead during that time span and got the score within one, trailing 49-47, after Peoples nailed two free throws with 37 seconds remaining.
However, Wisconsin's Cassie Rochel's layup with just five seconds remaining in the game grew the Badgers lead to 51-48 and proved too much for Florida, as Peoples' game-tying three-pointer came up short as time expired.
After shooting an impressive 36.8% from the field, including 42.9% from behind the arc in the first, Florida's shooters went cold as the team shot 20% from the field in the second and was held without a trey.
Miller led the Gators with 12 points and Bannister and Dyandria Anderson both chipped in with six points off the bench.
Florida returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 14, when it hosts Stetson (7-2) at 1 p.m.
Postgame Press Conference Video (FREE): Head coach Amanda Butler, January Miller and Carlie Needles from GatorVision: http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=3595414&db_oem_id=6500
Records:
· Florida: 5-4
· Wisconsin: 3-5
Turning Point:
· With the Gators trailing by one point, Wisconsin's Cassie Rochel converted a layup with six seconds remaining in the game to boost her team's lead to 51-48 and force Florida to attempt a last-second game-tying three-pointer, rather than a two-point play.
Series Update:
· Florida dropped to 0-3 all-time vs. Wisconsin with tonight's loss.
· Tonight's contest was the first-ever meeting at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for the two programs and their first matchup since Nov. 25, 2001, when the No. 23 Badgers defeated the No. 12 Gators, 61-49, at the Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands.
Numbers of Note:
· With tonight's loss, UF fell to 9-21 all-time against teams currently in the Big Ten and 1-7 under head coach Amanda Butler.
· The Gators led, 31-29, heading into the break and dropped their first contest of the season when leading at the half. Before tonight, they were 4-0 when holding a halftime advantage.
Double-Figures
· January Miller (12) scored in double-figures for the third time this season and the 27th time in her career.
Streaks:
· Brooke Copeland connected on a three-pointer at the 16:58 mark of the first half, extending the Gators' consecutive games with a trey streak to 140.
· Kayla Lewis started for the 42nd-straight game, the longest active streak by a Gator.
Individuals:
· The Gators started two true freshman; Brooke Copeland earned her first career start and Haley Lorenzen made her fourth.
· Kayla Lewis pulled down five boards and surpassed 600 in her career. Lewis now has 601 rebounds as a Gator.
· January Miller attempted a season-high 16 field goals. In the first half, she attempted 12 shots. Before tonight, she had not attempted more than nine shots in a game this season.
· Miller scored a season-high 12 points.
· Haley Lorenzen tallied a career-high eight rebounds.
Quotes from the Court:
Head Coach Amanda Butler
Opening Statement:
“You've got to give Wisconsin the credit for setting the tone and executing their game plan very well.”
On playing against Wisconsin's man-to-man defense:
“They played man the whole game. They were a little more sagging in the first half; in the second half, they got a little bit more aggressive because we made them feel pretty good. We had a halftime lead, but then we bolstered their confidence on how they could guard us. They did a good job of getting up and challenging us. Our biggest disappointment was that as pitiful as we were offensively, our transition defense was truly disappointing. That's how they set the tone for the second half, and we weren't able to regain that momentum.”
Junior Guard January Miller
On how she was able to score in double-figures:
“I knew I would have to do well in my mid-range [shooting]. I wasn't getting as many opportunities in the paint. I knew my jump shot and threes were important.”
Redshirt Junior Guard Carlie Needles
On how Wisconsin's defense focused on her:
“My team knows that the other team is going to know that I'm a shooter. They also know that they'll have to move, and that they'll be open going to the basket. The bigs did a good job of adjusting as well. With me, I just have to know that for the first couple games of the season, people are going to know that I'm a shooter. Once I get the shots I get, I've got to make them. Going 0-for-3 tonight is all on me. If one thing is not going your way, you've got to find another way.”
Wisconsin Head Coach Bobbie Kelsey
Opening statement:
“We're just happy to win the game. It was a tough game for us. We didn't execute our offense very well, and we didn't box out very well. But we'll take the 'W.' I'm proud of our kids for getting through those rough patches and persevering to win the game.”
Next Game:
· What: Stetson (7-2) at Florida (5-4)
· When: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014 at 1 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 through www.GatorZone.com (FREE)
· Television: none
· Internet Video: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2205945/NCAA-Womens-College-Basketball-Stetson-vs-Florida
· Internet Scoring: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=65551
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
