Gators Celebrate 2013-14 at Postseason Banquet
Monday, April 14, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Nearly 200 fans, friends and family members gathered the Gator Room to celebrate the 2013-14 season with the Gators on Sunday afternoon.
Florida compiled a 20-13 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship, the program's 14th appearance in the “Big Dance.”
A number of individual awards were presented to the Gators, who voted for the most deserving member of the squad for each non-statistical honor.
2013-14 Banquet Award Winners
The Dish Award (most assists) – Cassie Peoples
Most Improved Player – Kayla Lewis
Game Day Brick House Award – Kayla Lewis
Practice Brick House Award – Jaterra Bonds
Academic Achievement Award - Lily Svete
Mary Elliott Unsung Hero Award – Pam Begic
The Charge Award (most charges taken) - Carlie Needles
Most Valuable Player - Jaterra Bonds
Additional Team Honors, Notes & Highlights from the 2013-14 Season
TEAM
· Advanced to the NCAA Second Round for the ninth time in program history
· Received votes in the final 2013-14 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
· Posted 14th 20-win season in program history; fourth consecutive season
· Earned the program's 14th NCAA Tournament berth, as well as the 21st postseason berth (14 NCAA, 7 WNIT & NWIT)
· For the fourth consecutive year the Gators won their first game in the SEC Tournament.
· Finished fifth in the SEC regular-season standings, the Gator's best finish since the 2008-09 season when the team tied for fourth.
· Earned No. 5 Seed in the SEC Tournament - just ninth time with a five-seed or higher in the 34-year history of the event; highest since No. 4 seed in 2009
· Feb. 27 win at Vanderbilt was just the team's seventh ever at Memorial Gym in 23 games
· All three of UF's wins vs. ranked teams this year have been when the Gators were unranked.
· The Feb. 9 victory vs. No. 15/13 Kentucky marked UF's 31st win in program history against a ranked team when the Gators were unranked.
· This is the 12th season UF and Kentucky have met multiple times and only the third time the Gators have swept the season series (other Gator sweeps: 1997-98 and 1984-85)
· Defeated ranked opponents in consecutive games for first time (No. 6 Kentucky on Jan. 5, No. 25 Arkansas on Jan. 9) since 2003-04 season
· Earned back-to-back wins vs. ranked opponents for first time since 2008-09 season, however, those games we not played consecutively
· Earned first win vs. top-10 team top-10 team since Feb. 26, 2006 (def. No. 6 Kentucky, Jan. 5, 2014)
· Posted 29th upset win vs. a ranked team when UF was unranked (def. No. 6 Kentucky, Jan. 5)
· Collected first win vs. ranked team since March 18, 2012 vs. No. 16 Ohio State in NCAA First Round (def. No. 6 Kentucky, Jan. 5)
· Compiled nine-game win streak, tied for the fourth-longest in program history
· Posted first undefeated record in December (6-0) since the 2008-09 season
· Recorded consecutive 100-plus scoring games for the second time in program history (also during 1994-95 season)
· Scored 100-plus points in a game for the first time since a 100-54 win vs. Tennessee State on Dec. 28, 2000 (def. Troy, 104-74, Dec. 4)
· Seven Gators tallied double-figure scoring effort vs. Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 8) - most in program history; repeated the effort against Saint Francis (Dec. 19)
INDIVIDUALS
Amanda Butler
· Won 175th game in nine-year overall head coaching career (d. Alabama, 75-67, Jan. 30)
· Earned first win vs. Top-10 opponent (d. No. 6 Kentucky, Jan. 5, 2014; 83-73)
· Collected 125th win as UF head coach (Nov. 30 vs. Oregon State); 165th of nine-year career
Antoinette Bannister
· SEC Academic Honor Roll
Jaterra Bonds
· First Team All-SEC (Coaches Team)
· Second Team All-SEC (media)
· Broke her own UF season record for made free throws in a season (was 140 in 2012-13)
· Set UF record for career minutes played (was 3,987 by Murriel Page, 1994-98)
· 10th Gator to score 1,500 career points (reached milestone Feb. 23 at South Carolina)
· 13th Gator to score 1,400 career points (reached milestone Jan. 23 vs. Auburn)
· NATIONAL Player of the Week by www.CollegeSportsMadness.com (Jan. 5)
· SEC Player of the Week (awarded Jan. 5)
· SEC Player of the Week (Dec. 30)
· Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament Team
· Preseason Second-Team All-SEC (coaches)
Viktorija Dimiate
· SEC Academic Honor Roll
Kayla Lewis
· SEC Co-Player of the Week (Feb. 10)
· Madness SEC Player of the Week by www.CollegeSportsMadness.com (Feb. 3)
Christin Mercer
· Gator Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team
· 31 points vs. FIU (Dec. 21) - Became first Gator since Jan. 8, 2009 to score 30+ points in a game; became just 16th different Gator to score at least 30 points in a game
January Miller
· SEC Academic Honor Roll
Carlie Needles
· SEC Academic Honor Roll
Cassie Peoples
· Gator Holiday Classic MVP
Lily Svete
· Capital One Academic All-District 4 team
· Ranked No. 4 in program history for Three-Point FG Percentage in a season (36.0% (50-139)
· Ranked No. 4 in program history for Three-Point FG Percentage in a season by a Senior
Ronni Williams
· SEC All-Freshman Team (Coaches Team)
· SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (Feb. 3)
· CSS's Geico Go To Player of the Game vs. Kentucky (Jan. 5)
· SEC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 11)
· 17 rebounds in season-opener most in Gator debut (was 13 boards by junior Courtney Cooper on Nov. 16, 2001, and sophomore Benita Locklear on Dec. 4, 1976)
· Second freshman ever to net double-double (15 points, 17 rebounds) in Gator debut (Tammy Jackson, 13 points and 12 rebounds vs. Virginia on Nov. 20, 1981)
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
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