PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Senior Cassie Peoples scored 18 points, junior newcomer Simone Westbrook added 14 and Florida nearly erased a 20-point deficit but its comeback fell short in a 97-91 season-opening setback against Temple at the Liacouras Center Friday evening.
There were 56 free throw attempts and 49 personal fouls called during the game and it was the Owls who took advantage of some of the new rules implemented in women's basketball this season.
The hosts converted 28-of-35 from the line compared to the 12-of-21 effort by the Gators, who shot 52.2 percent (35-67) from the floor during the game.
Free throw differential aside, Florida rallied from down 84-64 with 7:21 remaining in the game and got as close as three points, 92-89, with 24 seconds remaining.
The Gators seemed to have a real chance at the comeback after Westbrook dropped in a floater that had UF within six points, 86-80, with 3:31 on the clock.
The Owls worked the shot clock and Feyonda Fitzgerald, who finished with a game-high 32 points, scored underneath before collecting a steal and Tanaya Atkinson, who added 20 points, converted the fastbreak layup and pushed Temple's lead back to 10 points, 90-80, with 2:48 to go.
Peoples missed underneath for the Gators and Fitzgerald corralled the rebound.
Junior newcomer Tyshara Fleming then stole the ball, as the Temple bench was assessed a technical foul. Peoples made both free throws and the Gators had the ball with 2:26 remaining and down eight, but turned the ball over.
Neither team could connect offensively for the next minute until Fleming knocked down a free throw with 1:35 on the clock. TU followed with a pair from the line before Fleming scored under the basket. Westbrook stole the ball and found Fleming, who had the Gators within five, 92-87, with 61 seconds remaining.
Temple again worked the shot clock and after a miss with 29 seconds, Westbrook added a layup and the Gators were with three with 24 seconds left.
The Owls converted 5-of-6 free throws in the final 24 seconds to seal the decision.
Six different Gators scored during the furious span, with three newcomers leading the way. Redshirt-freshman Isis Young's first collegiate points came from beyond the arc and ignited a 25-8 spurt that began as a 16-2 march. Westbrook scored six points during the entire rally, Fleming came off the bench for an impressive game that resulted in eight points – five during the rally, five blocked shots, six rebounds, two steals and two assists in 18 minutes.
Westbrook led the run with six points, while Peoples added five, Brooke Copeland contributed a three-pointer and Ronni Williams converted one free throw.
Good Start by Florida, Better Finish by Temple
Florida led 22-19 after the first quarter and used an 8-2 run to start the second, as the Gators assumed a 30-21 lead with 8:27 remaining in the opening half. Carla Batchelor nailed back-to-back three-pointers and Haley Lorenzen put back a tough inside bucket during the spree.
Temple slowly chipped away at its deficit and with the Gators holding a 38-32 advantage ripped off 16 straight points and ended the half on an 18-2 march to take a 50-40 halftime lead.
Individual Gator Game Leaders:
Double-Figure Scorers: Peoples – 18 points (7-13 FG, 2-4 3FG, 2-2 FT); Westbrook – 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 FT)
Rebounding: Haley Lorenzen – 7; Tyshara Fleming – 6
Assists: Peoples – 8 (tied career-high)
Steals: Brooke Copeland – 3
Blocked Shots: Fleming – 5; Lorenzen – 3; Peoples 2
Numbers of Note:
· Cassie Peoples scored in double-figures for the 32nd time in her career
· Peoples tied her career-high of 8 assists
· Peoples went 2-2 from the free throw line, extended her streak of consecutive makes to 12, dating back to last year
· Florida blocked 11 shots, the most since swatting 13 against Alabama State on Dec. 20, 2010
· All 12 Gators scored in the game
· Florida still leads the all-time series against Temple, 5-2
· The Gators are now 7-7 when playing in the state of Pennsylvania
· UF is 16-7 all-time against teams from the Keystone State
· The Gators are 1-1 all-time when playing on Friday the 13th
· Florida is now 24-18 on opening day, including 3-8 when starting on an away court
First Half at a Glance:
Florida outscored Temple 12-0 in the paint during the first quarter and held a 22-19 advantage after the first 10 minutes of action.
During that span, however, Ronni Williams - last year's leading scorer - collected two personal fouls and was relegated to just three minutes of action. Williams' replacement off the bench was junior newcomer Tyshara Fleming, who collected a pair of rebounds, but also was whistled for a pair of fouls after three minutes of court time.
With the Gators' frontcourt struggling with foul trouble, the Owls took advantage and started to drive inside and their shots began to fall from the outside, as the home team hit a sizzling 11-of-16 from the floor during the second quarter when they outscored UF 31-18 and closed the frame on an 18-2 run.
Stats of Note from of the First Half
· Free throws: Temple hit 15-of-19 … Florida 2-of-8
· Field Goal Percentage: Florida 54.8% (17-31) … Temple 50% (14-28)
Gator Stats of Notes from the First Half
· Cassie Peoples: 7 assists
· Dyandria Anderson: 8 points
· 10 different Gators scored
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler:
Initial Thoughts of the Game:
“We had Ronni (Williams) and January (Miller) in foul trouble from the beginning and they are great players and we need then to be on the floor for more than 14 and 11 minutes, respectively. We turned the ball over too many times. That's something we have to look at and address. The game has really changed with the free throw rule. When you have a combined 56 free throws shot in a ballgame, that's really what the difference in the game was – free throws. That's a lot. We have to adjust. We have to be more disciplined and adjust to the way it's impacting outcomes.”
On the Impact of junior newcomers Tyshara Fleming and Simone Westbrook:
“They made a huge impact. That's why they are Gators and that's why we recruiting them to make big-=time plays and to contribute overall to our success. You got a glimpse of that tonight. It's really exciting. Both of them gave us courageous minutes that really put us in position, if we had a few things go differently at the end, maybe we're having a different conversation at the end of the game.”
On Temple's Guards:
“They did a great job of recognizing the way that the game was being called. They are great shooters and they shot the ball really, really well all the way across the board. Temple did a good job of really attacking and putting us in position to foul them and we did. When you look at their stats, those two players alone (Feyonda Fitzgerald and Alliya Butts) hit 12 of 14 free throws. (Erica) Covile went 7 for 7. They did a great job of recognizing what we were struggling with and took advantage of it.”
Positives from the Game:
“We are very deep. In this non-conference you want to challenge yourself and find out who is equipped to handle what moments and who needs to grow in what moments. We learned a lot of those things tonight. I think we have one of the toughest schedules in the country, evidenced by the outcome tonight.”
What's Next for the Gators
· Who: Florida hosts No. 7 Florida State (doubleheader)
· When: Monday, November 16, tip-off at 5:30 p.m. ET
· Where: Stephen C. O'Connell Center * Gainesville, Fla.
· Special Promotions: First 1,000 fans get a FREE Alberta Bobble head; Bring 3 kids aged 17 or under and receive free general admission; all kids aged 17 or under are FREE
FOLLOW THE GATORS:
Gatorzone.com
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Coach Amanda Butler on Twitter
