Florida Gators

Auburn, AL – Team leaders Carlie Needles and Ronni Williams each scored in double-figures but it wasn't enough for No. 16/19 Florida to halt a red-hot Auburn squad playing at home, as the Tigers earned an 80-58 victory on Sunday at Auburn Arena and won their fifth consecutive game.
 
With the loss, Florida dropped a half-game behind Auburn in the Southeastern Conference standings, with the Gators now 7-5 in the league and the Tigers at 8-5. Florida has four more regular-season games remaining and Auburn three.
 
The Gators had entered the game tied for third in the SEC and Auburn sitting in fifth place.
 
With the team's trading points during a fiercely tight second quarter that featured 16 lead changes and three tied scores, Auburn scored on consecutive possessions off a Florida turnover to ignite a 17-3 run that extended into the third quarter that flipped a one point Gator lead into a 57-44 Tiger advantage.
 
Haley Lorenzen scored on consecutive possessions for Florida and cut the deficit to nine, 53-44, however, the Tigers came right back with five straight points and the Gators wouldn't get within single digits of the lead again.
 
Williams led the Gators with 16 points and nine rebounds, with five of those coming on the offensive end, while Needles scored 15 points with five rebounds, converting 4-of-10 three-pointers.
 
Auburn's Katie Frerking led all scorers with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Updated Records:

• Florida: 19-6, 7-5 SEC
• Auburn: 18-8, 8-5 SEC

 
Turning Point:

• Auburn scored the final four points of the first half and used that momentum into the second, where the Tigers began the second half with a 9-1 run and took a 57-44 lead with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter.

 
Numbers of Note:

• Carlie Needles finished with 15 points for her seventh double-figure scoring game of the year; 33^rd of career
• With her third of four three-pointers, Needles moved into sole possession of fourth on UF's career chart, passing Jordan Jones' 194
• Ronni Williams scored 16 points, her team-leading 14^th double-figure scoring game this year; 46^th of career
• Florida was outscored, 9-5, in the third quarter for the seventh time this year and first time since Jan. 24 at Missouri
• Game Starters: Williams, Lorenzen, Needles, Westbrook Christinaki (2-2 this year)
• Florida's five points in the third quarter were its fewest in a quarter this season (was 8 vs. LSU in 3Q, Jan. 17)
• Florida has lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
• The 22-point setback is Florida's largest of the season.
• For the first time this season, Florida did not outscore its opponent in any of the four quarters.

 
First Half at a Glance:

• End of First Half Score: Auburn 48, Florida 43
• End of First Quarter Score: Auburn 20, Florida 17
• There were 19 lead changes and five tied scores
• Florida led by as many as 10 points, 15-5 (5:39), before Auburn came back with a 11-0 run followed by a 6-2 spurt for a 20-17 lead
• The teams exchanged scores for the majority of the second quarter.
• Auburn capitalized on an offensive rebound and a late Gator turnover that resulted in four points in the final nine seconds of the half.
• Leading Scorers: Florida - Carlie Needles: 12 points; Auburn - Brandy Montgomery: 16 points

 
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler:
"Auburn just outplayed us. They were tougher than us. Other than that opening flurry by us, Auburn played with a lot more desire than we did and that's really disappointing."
 
"We typically don't generate as many turnovers off of our press, a lot of it come in the half-court and we played really bad defense in the half court."
 
On Auburn converting 22 Florida turnovers into 27 points; Auburn's 16 second-chance points off 15 offensive rebounds:
"I thought we played a brand of basketball that was absolutely not us. We didn't do a very good job of sharing the ball. We didn't do a very good job outside of Ronni's effort of offensive rebounding the ball. The total rebounds were even, but I thought that was the difference in the game. The 15 offensive rebounds after you play defense and Auburn capitalized on it."
 
Auburn's adjustments in the second half:
"I don't think they really made too many changes. Carlie (Needles) still took good shots, they just didn't fall. That happens. They really did a good job stacking up in the paint and it was difficult for us to get it in the paint."
 
On regrouping from today and facing Vanderbilt on Thursday:
"With all due respect to Vanderbilt, it doesn't have anything to do with them. Florida has got to decide what type of team it wants to be. We did not handle adversity with very much maturity and that's not who we are. We have a quick opportunity to turn things around against a very good Vanderbilt team. It's going to take a lot of leadership and we talk about that every day."
 
 
What's next for the Gators:

• Florida plays its lone home game during a five-game stretch, when the Gators welcome Vanderbilt to the O'Dome on Thur., February 18 at 7 p.m.

 
 
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