No. 20 Gators Post a Resounding Season-Opening Victory

Friday, November 11

Jacksonville, FL (Veterans Memorial Arena)

5 PM

Florida Gators

1-0

South Alabama (DH)

0-1

Team	1	2	3	4	F
South Alabama	4	11	9	9	33
Florida	19	18	25	23	85

Senior Ronni Williams scored 16 points with 10 rebounds.

No. 20 Gators Post a Resounding Season-Opening Victory

Friday, November 11, 2016 | Women's Basketball

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The 52-point win tied for the largest in a season-opener in program history

By: Kathy Cafazzo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida's top three scorers from last year returned for this season and all led the Gator offensively en route to an 85-33 win against South Alabama at Veterans Memorial Arena in the season opener for both clubs.

Senior Ronni Williams, junior Haley Lorenzen and sophomore Eleanna Christinaki each tallied 16, while senior Tyshara Fleming added 11 points, as all nine Gators who suited up scored in the 52-point win that was tied for the largest season-opening margin of victory in the program's 43-year history.

Junior Brooke Copeland and freshman Delicia Washington both scored eight points and both collected six rebounds.

Dyandria Anderson posted a game-high six assists with a career-best six steals.

Florida dished 23 assists on its 38 baskets, with eight Gators having a least one. Christinaki tallied five assists, as did freshman Elif Portakal.

The potent Gator offense was a little slow getting on the board initially, as Christinaki was the first to score on a layup 2:37 into the game. South Alabama came right back just a jumper from LaNeetra Guillory, before Williams, who corralled 10 rebounds for her 14th double-double of her career, netted an inside bucket and the Gators ripped off 17-2 run to end the first quarter and never looked back, taking a 37-15 halftime lead.

Florida scored the first 20 point of the third quarter when it really blew the game open on the strength of its inside poise. Florida hit 63.2 percent (12-19) from the floor during the third period and extended their advantage in the paint, where they eventually earned a 56-4 differential.

Defense was, however, what UF head coach Amanda Butler was most proud of during the game, as the Gators totaled 20 stelas and forced 32 turnovers that resulted in 36 points and helped account for 22 fast break points.

Numbers of Note

The 52-point win tied for the largest season-opening victory in program history (also 52-point win against Tampa, 91-39, on Nov. 26, 1983)
UF outscored USA in the paint, 56-4
The Gators turned 32 Jaguar turnovers into 36 points
UF shot 53.5 percent from the floor overall, including a 63.6 percent mark from inside the three-point arc.
Nine Jaguars scored during the game, but none had more than six points.
Florida held South Alabama to a 19.6 shooting percentage for the game, the third-lowest by an opponent in program history.
Williams topped the 900-career point plateau during the game
Lorenzen scored her 500th career point during the win

Doubling Their Fun

Ronni Williams finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for her 14th career double-double, her 52nd career double-figure scoring game and her 16th career double-figure rebounding game.
Eleanna Christinaki scored 16 points for her 18th career double-figure scoring game
Haley Lorenzen scored 16 points in her 19th career double-figure scoring game; she has scored in every game of her career (61)
Tyshara Fleming scored 11 points for her fifth career double-figure scoring game

Always Remember Your First

All three freshman played on Friday and all three scored their first collegiate points:
Elif Portakal finished with two points and five assists [first points came on a driving, scoop layup with 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter]
Sydney Searcy totaled two points, two assists, two rebounds and two steals in her debut [first bucket was an outside jumper with 7:27 left in the third quarter]
Delicia Washington started and tallied eight points, six rebounds and four steals [first points were a fastbreak layup with 2:02 remaining in the first quarter; also first true freshman to start a season-opener since the 2012-13 season]

A Familiar Road Game for Two Freshmen

Freshmen Sydney Searcy and Delicia Washington made their respective collegiate debuts just a few miles from their hometown!
Searcy is from Ponte Vedra Beach - 23 miles from Jacksonville - and played her prep ball at Nease HS and was three-time first-team All-State, Class 6A
Washington is from Glen St. Mary - approximately 33 miles from Jacksonville - and was two-time first-team All-State, Class 5A

The Updated Series: Florida vs. South Alabama

9-Game Series: UF leads 6-3 (UF Home: 2-1; Away: 2-2; Neutral: 2-0)
Streak: Florida has won the last six games in the series

Florida All-Time on Opening-Day

All-Time Opening-Day Record: 25-18
Current Streak: Won 1
Neutral Site Record: 6-4 (streak: won 4)

Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler:
On what stood out the most during tonight's victory:
"I was really, really proud of the way we played defense today, it carried over into the way we played offense. It was a very complete game. Our guards did a great job of rebounding, which is something we're really bene harping on lately. I think our defensive intensity was really overwhelming for them and that's a great credit as to how hard our team worked in practice this week."

Did you see any freshmen jitters from any of the three newcomers?
"I know they were nervous because they were honest enough to admit it in the locker room and I admitted that I was, as well. We just talked about transitioning that nervous energy into positive energy on the defensive end and that the offense would take care of itself. I'm really proud of their debut. I thought all three did a good job."

On senior Ronni Williams' performance:
"Double-double. She played with such confidence. I was an aggressive, yet controlled and almost graceful style of basketball right now. I'm just really proud of her. The challenge is going to be for her to maintain that as the defenses key on her more and look for ways to take her out of her game. Her leadership is superb and the example that she is setting is totally unshakable."

South Alabama Head Coach Terry Fowler
"All of the things we talked about, they (UF) did. We talked about transition baskets, they did that (UF), offensive boards, they did that. Those things are hard to defend.

"I think we got open shots, their speed, they rushed us, they really bothered us and we never got over the hump. We have to learn from this one and be ready to move forward because it's a quick recovery time".

"We can't simulate what Florida has as far as length and their athleticism"

Gator Pronunciations for this release:

DYANDRIA Anderson: dee-ANN-dree-uh
ELEANNA CHRISTINAKI: L-ee-on-uh chris-tin-OCK-ee
TYSHARA Fleming: tie-SHEER-uh
ELIF PORTAKAL: ee-LEAF POOR-ta-call
Sydney SEARCY: SIR-see

What's Next for the Gators

Who: #20/24 Florida at Chattanooga
When: Mon., November 14 * 6:30 pm ET
Where: McKenzie Arena (10,966) * Chattanooga, Tenn.
Game Coverage & More!
Radio: LIVE on ESPN Gainesville (WRUF-AM850/FM95.3) with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
Internet Audio: LIVE thru FloridaGators.com (FREE) [direct link]
Television: none
Streaming Video: SoCon Digital Network [direct link]
Internet Scoring: LIVE thru FloridaGators.com [direct link]

Opening Tip

Chattanooga leads the series, 2-1, and all three previous games have been played at a neutral site.
Last meeting between the teams was on Dec. 5, 1986.
Chattanooga defeated Rutgers, 66-53, in Piscataway, N.J., in its season-opener on Friday.
UTC is receiving votes in the Associated Press national poll.
Gator junior Brooke Copeland is a native of Cleveland, Tenn., located just 32 miles from Chattanooga.