Absence made the UF women’s basketball team grow fonder for a win.
The Gators returned to the O’Connell Center on Sunday to host the Gator Holiday Classic and beat Southern University 62-35 in their first game back at home since a loss to FAMU on Dec. 1.
Florida (5-5) rode Azania Stewart effort to a much-needed victory. She finished with a career- and game-high 18 points. After a close first half, the Gators outscored the Jaguars (6-3) by 19 in the second frame for the win.
“We knew that inside was one of the areas we were going to have an advantage, and we really talked about that a lot in our preparation for Southern,” coach Amanda Butler said. “(Azania) obviously was paying attention.”
Sharielle Smith and Jordan Jones each chipped in 8 points.
Florida used that inside-outside balance to shoot a steady 44.7 percent from the field. The Gators were selective with their outside shot and only attempted 16 shots from beyond the arc, sinking six of them at the hands of five different players.
“We didn’t feel like the tempo in the first half was anything where it needed to be,” Butler said. “We did a good job at the beginning of the (second) half of resetting that tone.”
Stewart, who had 10 points in the first half — a third of her team’s offensive output — continued her scoring streak in the second half and was taken out with the game in hand.
“Basically, they just lost me on a bunch of plays,” Stewart said. “They were concentrating on the ball and I was hanging out on the weak side. I had the confidence that they couldn’t really stop me. I just kept being sneaky finding those little entry spots.”
The win was significant as it marked the first win streak beyond one game for the Gators this year. The time off also allowed some players to heal their wounds.
Jennifer Mossor and Ebonie Crawford got playing time for the first time this season after injuries prevented either from seeing the court.
Mossor, who tore her left lateral meniscus, played in her first game since Jan. 8, when she tore her right ACL.
“It just felt great to be out there and run up and down a little bit,” Mossor said. “I’ve been anxiously awaiting my opportunity to get back out on the court and just to have that under my belt and get to move on to the next game, it feels good.”
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
