Gators Host No. 6 Tennessee on "Family Four-Pack Sunday"
Saturday, February 7, 2015 | Women's Basketball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators aim to continue their momentum after a huge road win when they play host to No. 6 Tennessee on Sunday at 2 p.m., when ESPNU broadcasts the game live.
It's a “Family 4 Pack Sunday” in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, where fans can purchase four general admission tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for only $20. In addition, the first 550 fans receive a free Florida Women's Basketball “Elevate” shirt.
Rested and Ready
· Both Florida and Tennessee enjoyed a midweek bye from competition prior to Sunday's game.
· The Gators earned a 67-58 win at Vanderbilt on Sunday, February 1 in their last game, while the Lady Vols topped Mississippi State, 79-67.
· This was Florida's second bye during its SEC slate. The first one came after its January 19 contest against South Carolina and the Gators used the time off to regroup and halt a four-game losing streak with a big win against Arkansas.
Come and See Us While You Can!
· Sunday's game is just one of two home games for the Gators during the month of February.
· The only other Gator game in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center during February is on Thursday, the 19th against Vanderbilt.
You Say Daunting, We Say Challenging and Exciting!
· Only seven games remain in Florida's regular season.
· Three of the next four games are against nationally ranked opponents:
o No. 6 Tennessee
o No. 22/21 Georgia
o No. 17/19 Mississippi State
· Better yet, five of the Gator's final seven games come versus ranked teams!
o No. 6 Tennessee
o No. 22/21 Georgia - TWICE
o No. 17/19 Mississippi State
? No. 14/13 Texas A&M
· The only two games against non-ranked teams:
o host Vanderbilt (Feb. 19)
o at Alabama (Feb. 26)
Florida vs. Tennessee: The Series at a Glance
· 50-Game Series: UT leads 47-3
· UF Home: 2-18; Away: 1-21; Neutral: 0-8
· Tennessee has dominated the series and rides a 10-game win streak against UF into Sunday's contest.
· The Gator's last win against the Lady Vols was a 66-57 victory on February 8, 2009 in the O'Connell Center ... exactly six years ago from Sunday!
Senior Kayla Lewis Approching 1,000-Point Club
· Redshirt senior Kayla Lewis is 5 points shy of 1,000 in her career.
· Sunday's game will be her 112th career game.
· The last Gator to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau was Jaterra Bonds (2010-14), who hit the milestone on March 8, 2013 vs. Tennessee in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Gators vs. Ranked Teams
· The Gators are 0-2 vs. ranked teams this season.
· Seven of UF's final 12 regular-season games are against teams currently ranked in the top-25.
· Florida dropped a tight 62-56 decision at No. 10/11 Kentucky on Thur., January 15, when the game featured 17 lead changes and nine tied scores.
· The Gators then lost to undefeated and top-ranked South Carolina, 77-42, on January 19.
SEC Cluster
· One game can mean a lot!
· Entering Sunday's five--game SEC slate, Florida (3-6) is:
o tied with Arkansas (3-6);
o one game behind Vanderbilt (4-6) and Ole Miss (4-6);
o two games behind Georgia (5-5) which the Gators still play twice.
· One-game behind the Gators in the SEC standings is Mizzou (2-8) ... with Alabama (1-8) and Auburn (0-10) trailing the MU Tigers.
Gator Watch
· POINTS: senior Kayla Lewis and sophomore Ronni Williams sit atop UF's scoring chart at 9.8 points per game.
· REBOUNDS: Lone senior Kayla Lewis patrols the paint for UF, collecting 7.2 rebounds per game and hitting an SEC-leading 54.6 percent from the floor.
· UTILITY - 1: Cassie Peoples leads the Gators in assists (85), steals (47) and trips to the free throw line (68), where she leads the SEC with a 86.8 percent clip.
· UTILITY - 2: Carlie Needles has emerged as UF's Ms. A-Little-Bit-of-Everything this season! Standing 5-foot-6, she ranks No. 2 for rebounds, while ranking No. 1 for three-pointers, No. 1 minutes played, No. 2 assists, No. 2 free throw percentage, No. 2 steals and No. 4 for scoring!
Who's on top?
· Entering's Sunday's game, not one Gator is averaging a double-figure scoring effort - and that's because there's balance!
· Seven Gators average at last 5.1 points per game.
· Eight Gators average at least 13 minutes on the court.
Who's Hot
· Junior Carlie Needles missed the January 11 and 15 games against Missouri and Kentucky, respectively, because of a concussion she suffered during the January 8 game against Ole Miss.
· In the four games since her return, Needles has averaged a tied-for-team-best 11.5 points (with Lewis).
· Needles also has converted 43.5 percent (10-23) of her three-point shots and 85.7 percent (12-14) of her free throw attempts.
· In the 12-point win against Arkansas (Jan. 25), hit all eight of her free throw attempts in the final 73 seconds of the game to help secure the victory.
StatRow
Florida
· Points Per Game: 64.6
· Scoring Defense: 61.8
· Scoring Margin: +2.8
· Rebounding Margin: +1.5
· FG%: 40.4%
· 3FG%: 30.6%
· FT%: 70.3%
Gator Leaders
· Scoring: R. Williams & Lewis, 9.8
· Rebounding: K. Lewis, 7.2
· Assists: C. Peoples, 3.8
Tennessee
· Points Per Game: 72.9
· Scoring Defense: 54.9
· Scoring Margin: +18.0
· Rebounding Margin: _8.5
· FG%: 42.8%
· 3FG%: 33.8%
· FT%: 75.6%
Lady Vols Leaders
· Scoring: Harrison, 12.5
· Rebounding: Harrison, 9.0
· Assists: Reynolds, 2.5
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler:
On Tennessee:
“It's always exciting to play Tennessee. It's an outstanding team full of talent that is very well coached. It's our alumni weekend and we're excited to be able to honor those special women with such an amazing matchup and hopefully a great crowd. We've got to play great transition defense and we have to box out. They are one of those teams that year-in and year-out offensive rebounding is a staple. They are especially dangerous in transition this year.”
On so many alumnae from different decades in town for Alumnae Weekend:
“My staff, especially Serena Wilson, has done a really great job of doing as best they can tracking down as many people as we can. It never fails that the more people we're able to make contact with, the greatest the response has been. They all have that Gator spirit and the pride in their university and it's a fun time to get back together to reminisce and celebrate what's going on now with the program.”
On UF's 2015 SEC Legend LaTonya McGhee, who will be recognized during Sunday's game:
“She was obviously very, very talents. There were a lot of off-the-court memories of LaTonya because she's such a great teammate and a sweet person who I was privileged to play with. On the court, my biggest memory of her was when she hit the game-winning shot at Bowling Green in the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and we advanced to the second round. It was a pretty amazing moment to be a part of.”
Game Day Data
Florida (11-11, 3-6 SEC) hosts #6 Tennessee (19-3, 9-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,373) * Gainesville, Fla.
Sun., February 8, 2015 * 2 p.m. ET
Opening Tip
· UF's Amanda Butler and UT's Holly Warlick are the only two coaches in the SEC who are the head coach at their respective alma maters (LSU's Nikki Caldwell is a UT graduate; Kentucky's Matthew Mitchell is a Mississippi State graduate)
· It's ALUMNAE Weekend for the Gator letterwinners, who will be introduced at halftime of Sunday's game
· Senior Kayla Lewis enters game with 995 career points; leads the SEC in field goal percentage (league games only) at 59 percent
· Gator junior Carlie Needles ranks No. 2 in SEC games for 3-point field goal percentage (38.1%) and 3-pointers per game (2.3)
· Five of UF's seven games in the month of February are on the road - only this game and the Feb. 19 contest vs. Vanderbilt are home
Game Coverage & More!
· Radio: LIVE on WRUF-AM (850) in Gainesville and WFXJ-AM (930) in Jacksonville with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
· Internet Audio: LIVE thru www.GatorZone.com (FREE)
· Television: ESPNU with Melissa Lee & LaChina Robinson
· Internet Video: WatchESPN
· Internet Scoring: Stat Broadcast (FREE) via Gatorzone.com
· Tickets: $5 for reserved seats; $4 adult general admission; $2 for youth age 17 and under; FREE for UF students
· Parking: FREE in the O'Connell Center Lot Garage
Additional Hoopla for Sunday's Game
· Family 4 Pack Sunday: Fans can purchase 4 general admission tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 sodas for only $20! Presenting sponsor: Cox/Gatorade
· Elevate Shirt Giveaway: First 550 fans receive a free Florida Women's Basketball “Elevate” shirt, sponsored by Gatorade
· Campus Challenge - Semifinal # 1: Reid-Yulee-Mallory vs. Murphree! Residence hall communities on campus will compete against each other in a March Madness style attendance competition for a chance to win prizes and unique opportunities with Florida Women's Basketball! Residents who check-in have a chance to win a $50 Best Buy Giftcard!
· Post-game Layup Line: Kids 12 and under will be able to participate in post-game layups on the court for 15 minutes!
· Alumnae Weekend: Florida Women's Basketball welcomes alumni back for a special presentation at halftime!
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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