KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Florida's Ronni Williams scored a game-high 22 points with nine rebounds but Tennessee ended the game on a 13-2 run and rallied for a 74-70 win at Thompson-Boling Arena Thursday evening.
 
Haley Lorenzen drilled a three-pointer and gave the Gators a 68-61 lead with 3:58 remaining. The Lady Vols countered with the next five points.
 
Williams collected her fifth personal with 1:37 reaming and the Gators clinging to a 68-66 lead, but Florida was unable to pick-up for their sidelined leader, as Tennessee scored seven of its 13 points from the free throw line during the final 2:29 of the game to take the decision.
 
It was a disappointing final score for the Gators, who led for almost 26 minutes compared with the Vols 9:21 time lead.
 
Double-Digit Gators

• Ronni Williams: 22 points, 9 rebounds – 24th double-figure scoring game this year, 74th of career
• Delicia Washington: 15 points, 4 assists – 17th double-figure scoring game this year
• Haley Lorenzen: 11 points, 5 rebounds – 21st double-figure scoring game this year, 39th of career

 
Top-Scoring Lady Vol

• Mercedes Russell led four UT players in double-figure scoring with 17 points and 10 rebounds

 
Individual Numbers of Note

• Ronni Williams' first bucket of the game that came 2:23 into the contest was the 1,400 point of her career.
• Williams also moved into sole possession of 14th on UF's all-tie scoring chart, passing Rhvonja Smith's (1987-91) total of 1,398. Next on the list is Tonya Washington (1997-00) and her 1,448 points.
• Williams recorded her 12th game this year with 20+ points – 13th of her career
• Tyshara Fleming scored her 350th career point during the first quarter of the game.
• Brooke Copeland's second three-pointer of the game sent her over the 300-point mark for her career

 
Of Interest

• Six of the last seven games in the series between Florida and Tennessee have been decided by single digits.
• Florida outscored UT in the first quarter, 22-13, while the Lady Vols took scoring honors in the second, 22-10, that led to a 35-32 UT halftime lead.
• Six different Gators scored during the first half, paced by Williams' eight points.
• UT hit 7-10 free throws during the first half, while the Gators did not attempt one.

 
Stats of Note

• There were 9 lead changes and 8 tied scores.
• Florida made five more field goals, including two more three-pointers, than UT, which hit 20-of-28 free throws compared with the Gator's 4-of-6 effort.
• The Gators were whistled for 22 fouls, the Lady Vols 8
• Florida hit an efficient 6-of-13 three-pointers, with four Gators converting from long ranged paced by Brooke Copeland's three
• This the first time this year Florida has lost a game when an opponent has shot less than 40 percent. UT hit 39.1 percent during the game.

 
Opening Tip

• Florida played its 20th road game of the season.
• Thursday's game was Florida's final regular-season road game.
• This was the second meeting between UF and UT, which won the 84-75 decision on January 26 in Gainesville.
• Nine of UF's last 11 games have been decided by 10 points or less.
• Florida is 4-9 in games decided by 10 points or less this season, including 3-7 in SEC games.

 
Updated Records

• Florida: 13-15, 4-11 SEC
• Tennessee: 18-10, 9-6 SEC

 
 
Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler Quotes
(Opening Statement) 
"I am really proud of my team. I thought we played with an incredible level of toughness in one of the most special environments to play in the country. I think we handled that with a great deal of maturity, great deal of confidence. I am really proud of their consistency. Even when Tennessee made their runs, they never got away from tight huddles and the chemistry that makes them a really special bunch. That is what we are going to dwell on. We are going to dwell on the positives, and this is certainty something to build off of. Our team continues to get better every week and that is something that I am proud of. They are fighting and continuing to improve. We got beat by a very good team tonight and you have to congratulate Tennessee for the things that they did well in critical moments. I am really proud of the Gators tonight and we are going to walk out of this building with our heads held high."
 
(On what got away from them on offense during the fourth quarter) 
"I would not say that it ever really got away from us. Obviously, we wanted the final score to look different. I think what you saw was a great fourth quarter of SEC basketball. That's what is going to happen in this league. Teams are going to go back and forth at each other. As much as we like to talk about the scoring runs, you have to understand that every night we have a game, those are some of the best defenses in the country, so it is inevitable that you are going to go on scoring droughts."
 
Florida Guard Delicia Washington Quotes
(On the SEC Tournament coming up) 
"We are just focused on the next team. We are going to prepare these next few days by working a little harder and getting better every day with our team."
 
Florida Guard Ronni Williams Quotes
(On how she felt when the Gators had a 68-61 lead) 
"I felt pretty good the entire game. I had faith in my teammates, and I knew what we were capable of. I knew if we stuck to the right things, the right things would happen for us."
 
(On the SEC tournament coming up) 
"Right now, we are focused on Georgia. We are going to go into our two-day prep fired up. Once we finish our regular season, we will look towards the tournament."
 
What's Next for the Gators

• Who: Florida hosts Georgia
• Where: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center * Gainesville, Fla.
• When: Sun., February 26 * 12 Noon ET
• TV: The game will be televised by ESPNU with Jenn Hildreth and Sue Bird calling the action.
• Of Note: This is the final regular-season game for both teams.

 
Special Promotions for Sunday's Game

• Senior Day - Seniors Ronni Williams and Tyshara Fleming will be honored postgame for their great Gators careers!
• Gators Blanket Giveaway - The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a Gators Basketball fleece blanket!
• Champions of Character - Presented by Campus USA. It's the second chance for local elementary and middle schools to nominate 10 outstanding students for recognition during the game! All nominated students will receive a t-shirt and certificate upon checking in at the game.
• Educational Expo - A new feature of our Champions of Character games, all kids in attendance will be able to learn about nutrition, fitness, and academics from UF groups!
• Lunch Box Giveaway - The first 250 kids in attendance will receive a unique Gators lunch box!
• O'Dome Arcade – Throwback arcade games will be setup and available for all fans in the concourse, including Pac Man and Madden Football!
• Movie in the Dome - Stay in the O'Dome after the game and enjoy a kids movie on the new video boards with your family and friends!
• Kids Korner - Check out great games and activities for kids in attendance, featuring poster making, tailgate games, face paint, and more!
• Rowdy Reptile Check-In - Students, check-in on your mobile app to earn points towards great prizes all year long!
• Enter to Win - $200 Nike Gift Card

 
Gator Pronunciations:

• DYANDRIA Anderson: dee-ANN-dree-uh
• DELICIA Washington: duh-LEE-shuh

 
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators