Freshman Brooke Copeland tied for the Florida women's basketball team lead in scoring for the first time in her career with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field, but it wasn't enough, as Florida (5-3) fell to (RV/RV) Florida State (8-1), 77-51, at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. on Sunday afternoon.
Florida State opened the scoring in the first 30 seconds of the game (19:38) on an Adut Bulgak three-pointer. The Seminoles opened the game on a 16-2 run with the Gators' only two points coming on a pair of January Miller free throws.
The FSU run was capped off on a three-pointer by Bulgak with 16:26 remaining in the first half.
The Gators didn't go away quietly, as Florida went on a 6-0 spurt, pulling UF within eight points (16-8) at the 15:14 mark on an Antoinette Bannister layup.
After chipping away at the Seminoles' lead and switching to a zone defense, UF was able to force a few FSU turnovers and close the gap to seven points at the 8:27 mark of the first half on a Copeland triple.
The rest of the half was back-and-forth, as FSU carried a 38-22 advantage into the locker room at intermission. The first half featured eight FSU offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second chance points.
In the second half, Florida outscored FSU, 11-5, in the opening minutes to cut the lead down to 43-33 on a layup by Haley Lorenzen with 16:21 left in the game. Despite the early run by Florida, the Seminoles would not allow the Gators to reduce their lead to less than 10 points for the remainder of the game.
UF turned the ball over 30 times and allowed 24 FSU points off those turnovers, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Florida returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 10, when the Gators host Wisconsin (2-5). Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The matchup will be aired live on SEC Network.
Records:
· Florida: 5-3
· Florida State: 8-1
Turning Point:
· Florida State opened the game on a 16-2 run with the Gators' only two points coming on a pair of January Miller free throws. The FSU run was capped off on a three-pointer by Adut Bulgak with 16:26 remaining in the first half.
Series Update:
· Despite today's loss, UF holds a 41-30 all-time record against the Seminoles and is still 81-65 all-time against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
· Florida State has now won nine of the last 12 matchups with Florida, including three 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.
Numbers of Note:
· Florida's bench outscored FSU's, 29-20
· Florida turned the ball over 30 times, which led to 24 FSU points
· The Seminoles grabbed 14 offensive boards, which led to 21 second chance points
· FSU won the second chance points battle, 21-8
Streaks:
· Brooke Copeland connected on a three-pointer at the 8:27 mark of the first half, extending the Gators' consecutive games with a trey streak to 139.
Individuals:
· Kayla Lewis made her 68th career start and 41st consecutive as a Gator
· Carlie Needles recorded her 41st career start
· Cassie Peoples notched recorded her 33rd career start
· January Miller appeared in the starting lineup for the 27th time in her career
· Ronni Williams made her 22nd career start
Quotes from the Court:
Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler
On Florida's miscues that led to the loss:
“Unfortunately, it's not a new story. We turned the ball over a lot. We started slow.”
On the promise shown by the freshmen:
“Brooke [Copeland] gave us a lot of energy. It was unfortunate that she fouled out with 11 minutes to play. Haley [Lorenzen] got a lot of good looks down low. We just need to capitalize on those opportunities.”
On offensive struggles:
“We're not being pressed, we're just not valuing the ball or executing with composure. We're just doing a lot of things wrong. [A game like today's contest] is exactly what we're going to see in the SEC and we've definitely got a long way to go.”
Next Game:
· What: Wisconsin (2-5) at Florida (5-3)
· When: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014 at 7 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: SEC Network
· Internet Video: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2169503/NCAA-Womens-College-Basketball-Wisconsin-vs-Florida
· Internet Scoring: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=65550
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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