The last time the Gators lost a game, people’s refrigerators were still full of leftover turkey and pumpkin pie.
Florida’s last loss came in the Bahamas to a then-winless Illinois State team.
"We must not be doing a good enough job of emphasizing the right things," coach Amanda Butler said after the loss.
"We’re just not taking enough pride in our defense."
Added assistant coach David Lowery at Monday’s press conference: "You saw a team that lost to Illinois State that was still searching for its chemistry.
"We had Cassie Peoples who was still trying to get acclimated to things. We were still trying to figure out our rotation. We were going through injuries at that time. We had just lost (Antoinette) Bannister … we just had a lot going on."
Since that 68-64 loss, Florida has changed completely.
The turnaround started the very next day against a physically imposing Oregon State squad, but Florida grinded out its toughest victory to date, 73-70.
"This was the biggest team we’ve played against," Butler said after the game. "We were going to have to be really smart about the way we approached the game plan, but when it really came down to it, we had to be resilient."
The Gators have carried Butler’s message throughout the ongoing winning streak. Now up to eight consecutive victories, including an 83-73 upset win against then-No. 6 Kentucky on the road Sunday, Florida’s greatest asset has been its ability to overcome adversity.
"I think when you go through adversity, it brings you closer," senior Jaterra Bonds said. "We knew we weren’t supposed to lose that game (against Illinois State). We didn’t come out ready to play. We dug our foot down and won the next game."
What occurred in the Bahamas on that fateful trip did not solely revolve around basketball.
Things started to cement themselves for the Gators soon after the Junkanoo Jam, both on and off the court.
"We didn’t just go over there to play basketball, we went over there to bond as a family," Lowery said.
"We had opportunities to do things outside of basketball. I think that played a huge part in where we are right now. Our kids are totally buying in and really accepting the responsibility to do their part on the floor when they need to do it."
So far, Butler’s call for resiliency has seemingly been answered. In these past eight games, four games were decided by 10 or fewer points — all in the Gators’ favor. For Bonds, it has been a long time coming.
"In the past few seasons I’ve been here, we haven’t toughed out and won close games," she said.
"For instance, that Georgetown game was a big game. All our post players were fouled out. We could have quit right there. I knew, when it went into overtime, I told everybody, ‘We’re going to win this game.’ I knew we were more conditioned than them and were more ready than them."
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Despite not leading for the entire game, the Gators overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to shock the Hoyas. After tying the game at 58 at the end of regulation, Florida quickly took its first lead of the game on a three-point-play by senior Jaterra Bonds.
With the UF lead down to 66-65, Bonds, who scored a career-high 26 points in the game, drove hard to the basket and completed one of two fouls to cement the Gators 67-75 comeback victory.
