COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Gators converted 13 of 29 3-pointers and reset the program record for treys in a season in their hard-fought 85-80 setback at No. 17 Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Thursday.
 
Funda Nakkasoglu scored 24 points, one shy of her season-high, and Haley Lorenzen scored a career-best 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting to lead the Gators offensively.
 
Paulina Hersler recorded the third double-double of her career with 15 points and 11 rebounds, as the Gators converted 50 percent (31-62) from the floor during the night.
 
Delicia Washington, who finished with 11 points, left the game with 23 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Gators (10-16, 2-11 SEC) were not the same without the athletic sophomore guard on the court.
 
During the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, Hersler tacked on a three-pointer and Lorenzen followed with a bucket that gave Florida a 67-60 lead.
 
Texas A&M (20-7, 9-4 SEC) then turned up its defensive pressure and with Washington on the bench, the Gators committed four costly turnovers in an 18-second span that the dropped their lead to two.
 
Nakkasoglu scored the next three points of the game, before TAMU marched off seven consecutive points that started a 14-4 run and the hosts took an 80-74 lead with 61 seconds remaining.
 
Chennedy Carter and Anriel Howard led the Aggies with 28 and 21 points per game, respectively.
 


Season Record for 3-Pointers

• Florida needed nine 3-pointers entering tonight's game to break the program's season record that was 221 set by the 2008-09 team. The 2009-10 squad finished with 220 three-pointers.
• Florida connected on 13 of 29 from beyond the arc tonight – the 10th time the team has hit double-figures from deep.
• This season six different Gators have hit double-digit 3-pointers.

 
Close Ones

• Tonight was Florida's 14th game – including its ninth in the SEC – decided by 10 points or less (4-10 overall, 1-8 SEC).

 
Ranked Run

• Each of Florida's last six games have been against ranked opponents.
• Four of the games have been on the road.
• Four of the games have been decided by single digits.
• The Gators led Georgia and South Carolina by 10 points, Texas A&M by seven points and Missouri by five points but just weren't quite able to finish the job.

 
Individual Numbers of Note

• Haley Lorenzen scored a career-high 24 points, topping her previous high of 20 scored three times in her career and twice this season.
• Paulina Hersler recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds for the third double-double of her career and season.
• Lorenzen blocked one shot in the first half which was the 111th of her career, moving her past Aneika Henry into sole possession of ninth place in UF history.
• Lorenzen became 10th Gator to start 100 career games
• Dyandria Anderson started her 75th career game

 
UF Coach Cameron Newbuaer, Postgame Press Conference

• https://youtu.be/_EJ6qbaWSDI

 


 
Florida Head Coach Cameron Newbauer
Opening statement…
"To be able to compete in the SEC and play for Kay and breast cancer awareness was great. I appreciate all the pink here tonight at A&M. There was great support and awareness for such an awful disease. I appreciate the fact that all the people showed up tonight; It's a great thing. The game was a stinker. I am so proud of our kids for coming here and putting up the fight that we did. We played six top-25 teams in a row and have been in every game. We played our guts out tonight. Hats off to Carter. She stepped up and made big big plays when they had to. They had 24 attempts from the free throw line. That's what they had to do and that's what they do so well. We wanted to keep them off the free throw line but they just pounded inside and offensively rebounded it. That's what we want to take away, points in the paint. 36 points in the paint is the difference in the game. Hats off to them but our bunch played so hard and did so many things so well. I couldn't be more proud of our team. I love this group because of how hard they play and the fight they display every single day."
 
On setting the season three-point shooting record in just 26 games…
"I think last year we hit maybe 110 three-pointers as a team. Our players spend a lot of extra time in the gym working on their game, keeping their eyes on the rim and shooting with confidence. That's how that happened tonight. The bright lights only reveal your work in the dark. There's been a lot of work in the dark from our team to put us in this situation and these opportunities to play with these top-20 teams."
 
On turnovers in the beginning of the fourth quarter…
"We got a little sped up in that moment. We had a combination that's never really played together much with Delicia Washington not being in the game. That really threw us off. We're more than capable in that moment but it jumped us quickly and we got a little flustered. Even with that we fought right back. That's part of the game. You have to play through those mistakes and I think we did. It happened and we didn't let the wheels fall off. We fought back and still had a chance. I wouldn't say that was the decider of the game."



What's Next for the Gators

• Florida returns to Exactech Arena and plays host to Vanderbilt on Sunday at 1 p.m.

 
 
Gator Pronunciations for this Release:

• DYANDRIA Anderson: dee-ANN-dree-uh
• FUNDA NAKKASOGLU: FOON-da knock-ah-SO-glue
• DELICIA Washington: duh-LEE-shuh

 
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