Florida Meets Florida State in Share a Little Sunshine Showdown Sunday at 2 p.m.
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Florida takes its young bunch on its third road trip of the season, traveling 128 miles west to play in-state rival (RV/RV) Florida State in the “Share a Little Sunshine Showdown” on Sunday at the Donald L. Tucker Center, where tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Live streaming video of the game will be available through www.espn3.com, while fans can listen to the radio call through www.GatorZone.com.
Florida (5-2) holds a 41-29 lead in the 70-game series, the longest series in program history, however, Florida State has won eight of the last 11 games and two straight. The Gators last defeated the Seminoles on Nov. 17, 2011, in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, 72-58. In that contest, UF had four individuals score in double-digits, led by then-junior Jennifer George, as she scored a team-high 18 points.
Florida State is off to a solid 7-1 start and is currently receiving votes in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Polls. The Seminoles have been led by Maegan Conwright and Adut Bulgak, who are averaging 14.6 and 14.5 points per game, respectively.
FSU is currently a perfect 2-0 at home, while UF is 1-2 on the road.
Quotes from the Court:
Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler
On what happened in UF's last contest at Savannah State:
“They [Savannah State] 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.”
Stat Watch:
· Florida State has been lethal from downtown this season, shooting 42.0% from three-point range (50-for-119). The impressive shooting percentage ranks them first in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and sixth in the country. On the flip side, UF entered Thursday's game vs. Savannah State shooting 37.8% from behind the arc (34-for-90). That percentage ranked the Gators third in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and 37th in the nation.
Last Time Out:
· The Gators fell to 1-2 on the road this season with its 68-58 loss at Savannah State on Thursday.
· Cassie Peoples scored a team-high 15 points, while shooting 53.8% on 7-of-13 shots from the field.
· Kayla Lewis grabbed a season-high 10 boards in that contest.
· Florida State last played on Wednesday, Dec. 3, defeating Purdue, 67-64 in overtime, on the road.
Gators vs. Florida Foes:
· Florida is 1-0 against its fellow Sunshine State opponents so far this season. The Gators are scheduled to play three more games this year versus in-state foes: Florida State (Dec. 7), Stetson [DH] (Dec. 14) and North Florida (Dec. 28)
Double-Double Debut:
· Redshirt senior Kayla Lewis notched the first Gator double-double of the season at Savannah State, bucketing 12 points and pulling down 10 boards. Lewis now has 13 career double-doubles and has recorded points in double-figures in five consecutive games.
Consistency From the Floor:
· Despite a 5-2 record, Florida has netted a better shooting percentage from the field than its opponent in each of its seven games.
Block Party:
· Led by nine from redshirt senior Kayla Lewis, UF is averaging 4.0 blocked shots per game and falling victim to just 2.6 per contest. Lewis matched a career-high five stuffs against Savannah State.
Battling on the Boards:
· The Gators improved to +6.0 in rebounding margin this season after winning the battle on the boards at Savannah State, 45-30. Most notably, UF dominated Charleston Southern on the glass, 48-27, on Nov. 25. Remarkably, all 10 players who suited up for the Orange and Blue against the Bucs had at least one carom.
Florida (5-2) at (RV/RV) Florida State (7-1)
Donald L. Tucker Center (12,200)
Tallahassee, Fla.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014 * 2 p.m. ET
Game Notes (PDF)
· Florida: http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/women/stats/notes/pre/20141207140000.pdf
· Florida State: http://www.seminoles.com/pdf9/3028606.pdf
Game Coverage and 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
Opening Tip
· The Gators are 41-29 all-time vs. Florida State and look to defeat the Seminoles for the first time since 2011.
· These two rivals last met a season ago in the O'Dome, when FSU defeated UF 72-68 in Gainesville.
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
