Florida will have a chance to rebound from a disappointing loss with a return to the NCAA Tournament.
Gators Know Disappointing SEC Tournament Loss Isn’t The End
Friday, March 4, 2016 | Women's Basketball
"We have an understanding that this isn’t the end for us, and we have more season to come." -- Cassie Peoples, Florida redshirt senior guard
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Losing is never easy to cope with. Losing by 23 points and seeing what potentially could've been a statement run in the SEC Tournament end no less than a quarter after it started is devastating. Anyone in the Florida locker room following the 92-69 setback against fifth-seeded Kentucky could've felt the disappointment, as each of the Gators sat quietly at their respective wooden stall.
But this defeat isn't the end of a revitalizing season. Far from it.
There's an even bigger stage, an even greater opportunity these Gators still have ahead of them, one that could wipe away the heartache they endured Friday (March 4) evening, deep inside the innards of Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
And they know it.
"We are definitely very disappointed with how we performed today, but we have an understanding that this isn't the end for us," redshirt senior guard Cassie Peoples said. "We have more season to come."
Unlike last year, the Gators are bound for the NCAA Tournament, where they'll benefit greatly from the limited time opponents will have to prepare for their pressing, up-tempo style. The fact they'll most likely face teams from outside the Southeastern Conference in their first two tournament games will make a world of difference as well.
Arguably the nation's toughest conference this season, the Gators passed through the meat grinder and emerged with a 10-6 record in league play, their best since the 2000-01 campaign. But that's not all they came away with. The unprecedented depth it faced within the SEC molded this Florida crew into a tough, battle-tested team.
It's also prepared the Gators for their greatest challenge of the season: winning a pair of NCAA Tournament games.
"The way this league prepares you for the next level of competition, there's not another league out there that has experienced what we've experienced in the SEC this year," head coach Amanda Butler said. "We've all challenged one another."
The first quarter of its SEC Tournament quarterfinal loss provided a glimpse of exactly how dangerous Florida can be.
The Gators drained five of their first eight shots, including each of their first four attempts from three-point range, building a 14-4 lead.
Senior guard Carlie Needles, returning from a concussion which sidelined her for the regular season finale, sank two of them. She went on to finish with five triples, matching Florida's SEC Tournament single-game record. Both her on-court leadership and sharpshooting were back on display, a major positive as the Gators move forward.
But the second quarter showed exactly how important it is for Florida to play team-oriented basketball. The Gators got away from that, and it cost them.
"I think we played a little too much individual basketball in that (second) quarter," Coach Butler said. "I don't think we played very together. To beat a team like Kentucky, that's what you have to do."
Beating teams like Kentucky is what the Gators will have to do to make noise in the NCAA Tournament. This group has proven it can absolutely win such games. Don't forget, they've collected three wins against top-15 teams this season. Their opening 10 minutes had all the makings of a fourth.
Instead, the buzz saw Kentucky's morphed into over the last month went into high gear. The Wildcats entered the game having won their last seven games, with two of those victories coming against ranked opponents, and all but their SEC Tournament opener coming by at least 10 points.
The Gators have nothing to hang their heads about. Besides, they don't have time for that. Coach Butler isn't worried about this loss bleeding into their next phase postseason play either.
"Clearly we want to just continue to make strides forward," Coach Butler said. "That's what I fully expect this team to do. We'll go one game at a time, just like every other game we've played this year."
For now, all the Gators can do is return to Gainesville, emotionally regroup, and prepare for whoever they'll face next. Tonight must become a distant memory.
"We came out and threw the first punch. Once (Kentucky) got back up and went on their run, we didn't really answer," Needles said. "We learned from that, and we've learned from this in the past.
"We'll keep hitting shots, get ourselves in the gym, and make sure this doesn't happen again."
Those aren't words of defeat or sorrow. They're one more sign these Gators are ready to buck yet another trend in a season that's been full of such achievements.
This isn't the end. In one sense, it's only the beginning.
But this defeat isn't the end of a revitalizing season. Far from it.
There's an even bigger stage, an even greater opportunity these Gators still have ahead of them, one that could wipe away the heartache they endured Friday (March 4) evening, deep inside the innards of Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
And they know it.
"We are definitely very disappointed with how we performed today, but we have an understanding that this isn't the end for us," redshirt senior guard Cassie Peoples said. "We have more season to come."
Unlike last year, the Gators are bound for the NCAA Tournament, where they'll benefit greatly from the limited time opponents will have to prepare for their pressing, up-tempo style. The fact they'll most likely face teams from outside the Southeastern Conference in their first two tournament games will make a world of difference as well.
Arguably the nation's toughest conference this season, the Gators passed through the meat grinder and emerged with a 10-6 record in league play, their best since the 2000-01 campaign. But that's not all they came away with. The unprecedented depth it faced within the SEC molded this Florida crew into a tough, battle-tested team.
It's also prepared the Gators for their greatest challenge of the season: winning a pair of NCAA Tournament games.
"The way this league prepares you for the next level of competition, there's not another league out there that has experienced what we've experienced in the SEC this year," head coach Amanda Butler said. "We've all challenged one another."
The first quarter of its SEC Tournament quarterfinal loss provided a glimpse of exactly how dangerous Florida can be.
The Gators drained five of their first eight shots, including each of their first four attempts from three-point range, building a 14-4 lead.
Senior guard Carlie Needles, returning from a concussion which sidelined her for the regular season finale, sank two of them. She went on to finish with five triples, matching Florida's SEC Tournament single-game record. Both her on-court leadership and sharpshooting were back on display, a major positive as the Gators move forward.
But the second quarter showed exactly how important it is for Florida to play team-oriented basketball. The Gators got away from that, and it cost them.
"I think we played a little too much individual basketball in that (second) quarter," Coach Butler said. "I don't think we played very together. To beat a team like Kentucky, that's what you have to do."
Beating teams like Kentucky is what the Gators will have to do to make noise in the NCAA Tournament. This group has proven it can absolutely win such games. Don't forget, they've collected three wins against top-15 teams this season. Their opening 10 minutes had all the makings of a fourth.
Instead, the buzz saw Kentucky's morphed into over the last month went into high gear. The Wildcats entered the game having won their last seven games, with two of those victories coming against ranked opponents, and all but their SEC Tournament opener coming by at least 10 points.
The Gators have nothing to hang their heads about. Besides, they don't have time for that. Coach Butler isn't worried about this loss bleeding into their next phase postseason play either.
"Clearly we want to just continue to make strides forward," Coach Butler said. "That's what I fully expect this team to do. We'll go one game at a time, just like every other game we've played this year."
For now, all the Gators can do is return to Gainesville, emotionally regroup, and prepare for whoever they'll face next. Tonight must become a distant memory.
"We came out and threw the first punch. Once (Kentucky) got back up and went on their run, we didn't really answer," Needles said. "We learned from that, and we've learned from this in the past.
"We'll keep hitting shots, get ourselves in the gym, and make sure this doesn't happen again."
Those aren't words of defeat or sorrow. They're one more sign these Gators are ready to buck yet another trend in a season that's been full of such achievements.
This isn't the end. In one sense, it's only the beginning.
Players Mentioned
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