Before she scored a career-high 34 points, senior forward Ronni Williams was honored for scoring her 1,000th career point recently. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Williams Has An Electric Exactech Arena Debut
Wednesday, December 28, 2016 | Women's Basketball, Scott Carter
Senior forward has career game as the UF women's team plays for first time in revamped home.
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- She led, they followed.
Those four words sum up what transpired for the Florida women's basketball team in its home opener and first game inside the revamped and sparkling new Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center on Wednesday night.
The Gators never trailed on their way to a 102-51 victory over Southeastern Louisiana as senior forward Ronni Williams scored the game's first basket and kept on scoring.
Williams finished with a career-high 34 points -- the most by a Florida player since Vanessa Hayden had 36 in a game 15 years ago --and added 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals and no turnovers.
That's balling.
"Ronni led us with that charge,'' teammate Haley Lorenzen said. "It's really easy to see her take over a game and get right behind her. I just feel like everybody just followed suit after that. We had more confidence, we were just being super aggressive."
The Gators' long-awaited home opener after 305 days between games inside the O'Dome started with Williams being honored before tip-off for becoming the 24th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
Williams accomplished the feat on Dec. 3 against Long Beach State at the Arizona State Classic.
She quickly began to pour in more points once the game started, finishing the first quarter with 20. Overall, Williams hit 14 of 16 shots against the undersized Lions.
Ronni Williams drives toward the basket on Wednesday night. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Gators head coach Amanda Butler watched as the former McDonald's All-American delivered a memorable performance in front of an enthusiastic crowd of more than 1,600 that came out to watch the Gators finally return home after traveling nearly 9,000 miles to play their first 12 games of the season.
"She is so eager to just be her best,'' Butler said. "Not surprised in her performance."
It's the type of put-me-on-your back performance the Gators will need from Williams if they are going to cause trouble for the rest of the Southeastern Conference. Florida opens SEC play on Sunday by hosting Auburn.
Williams entered the game as the team's leading scorer (16.6 points per game) now that guard Eleanna Christinaki has left the program in search of a new home. Without Christinaki and injured forward Simone Westbrook by her side, Williams is clearly the Gators' go-to player.
That's fine with Butler, who reminded Williams of how far she has come during Wednesday's game by telling her -- ''That was you when you were a freshman" -- when a younger teammate picked up a bad foul and had to sit.
"She loves the Gators and she loves her teammates,'' added Butler. "She is willing to do whatever it takes for all things to work out for other people."
The soft-spoken Williams isn't much for tooting her own horn.
She leaves that up to her father, former UF men's player Rodney Williams, who wore a T-shirt Wednesday highlighting his daughter's entry into the Gators' 1,000-point club.
"Limited edition,'' Butler quipped.
"Being at home -- in our own home -- was just exciting for all of us,'' Williams said. "Everything was just amazing. It was amazing because of my teammates."
Maybe so, but they needed a tone-setter and Williams was that and more on a special night in the program's history.
The Gators never trailed on their way to a 102-51 victory over Southeastern Louisiana as senior forward Ronni Williams scored the game's first basket and kept on scoring.
