Redshirt senior Kayla Lewis paced the Florida women's basketball team with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough, as Florida (5-2) fell to Savannah State (4-1), 68-58, at Tiger Arena in Savannah, Ga., Thursday night.
Savannah State ripped off a 15-3 run to start the game and gained the early momentum, building a 15-5 advantage. During the run, which spanned 5:50, the Tigers shot 6-of-8 from the field, including three treys.
Needing an answer to the Tiger scoring barrage, Ronni Williams drew a foul driving to the net and nailed both free throws to cut the deficit to 15-7 with 12:51 remaining in the first.
The Gators methodically shrunk Savannah State's lead over the remainder of the first half, trading shots with the host squad. At the 6:47 mark, Cassie Peoples sliced through the Tiger defense and made a layup, which started a 9-2 spark, and gave UF a 25-24 lead, but the relentless Tigers answered with back-to-back layups in transition to regain the advantage.
Savannah State entered halftime with a 31-28 lead, attempting 32 shots, compared Florida's 23. Despite being outshot in the first half, the Gators shot 43.5% on 10-of-23 shooting, while holding the Tigers to 37.6% from the field on 12-of-32 shooting.
Behind some hot shooting to start the second half, the Tigers went on a 9-2 run, boosting their lead to 40-30 with 17:29 to play. The 10-point lead proved too much for the Gators, as they trailed the rest of the game.
Turnovers proved costly for Florida, as Savannah State converted 25 Gator giveaways into 30 points.
Florida returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 7, when the Gators travel to Tallahassee, Fla., for a Sunshine State Showdown with the Florida Seminoles (7-1). Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Records:
· Florida: 5-2
· Savannah State: 4-1
Turning Point:
· Savannah State senior guard Jasmine Norman converted an and-one to give Savannah State a 40-30 lead at the 17:29 mark in the second half. The 10-point deficit proved too much to overcome for Florida, as it trailed the rest of the way.
Series Update:
· With the loss tonight, UF is 3-2 all-time against the Tigers, and 2-1 under head coach Amanda Butler.
· Florida's only other loss to Savannah State came on Jan. 24, 1976, when UF fell, 90-62, on the road.
· Tonight's game marked the first game for UF at Tiger Arena, which was constructed in 2000. Florida's only other away contest against Savannah State came in 1976.
· Florida and Savannah State last met during the 2012-13 season in the Gator Holiday Classic. The Gators defeated the Tigers, 88-38, en route to winning the tournament.
Numbers of Note:
· The loss to Savannah State dropped Florida's all-time record to 19-8 overall vs. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opponents. The last time UF fell to a MEAC school came on Dec. 10, 2010, when Florida fell on the road to Hampton, 69-54.
· Florida had a better field goal percentage than the Tigers, shooting 45.8%, compared to 41.0% by Savannah State.
· The Gators outrebounded Savannah State, 45-to-30.
· UF proved imposing in the paint, blocking a season-best seven shots.
Double-Figures:
· Kayla Lewis notched her 13th-career double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, while tying a career high with five blocks. It was the first double-double by a Gator this season.
· Cassie Peoples (15) and Ronni Williams (10) also scored in double-figures for Florida.
Streaks:
· Cassie Peoples connected on a three-pointer at the 17:03 mark of the first half, extending the Gators' consecutive games with a trey streak to 138.
· Carlie Needles was 2-for-2 from the free throw line, extending her career-best consecutive shot streak to 14.
Individuals:
· Williams pulled down eight rebounds, eclipsing 200 for her career; she now has 205
· Lewis made her 67th-career start and 40th consecutive as a Gator
· Lewis' five blocked shots tied a career high and is the most by a Gator in a game this season
· Lewis, Peoples and Williams scored in double-figures for the sixth, fifth and third times, respectively, this season
Quotes from the Court:
Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler
On what accounted for the loss to Savannah State:
“They clearly had a great game plan and stuck to it, and we didn't. We couldn't press them at all. They did a really great job of being aggressive and attacking. It's unfortunately not a great message [we're sending]. It's something we've talked about all season, the way we start the game. We need to value our possessions. We still need to learn that lesson.”
Next Game:
· What: Florida (5-2) at Florida State (7-1)
· When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014 at 2 p.m.
· Where: Donald L. Tucker Center * Tallahassee, 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: ESPN3
· Internet Video: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2187426/Womens-College-Basketball-Florida-vs-Florida-State
· Internet Scoring: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=69698&vislive=uf
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
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