Florida coach Amanda Butler scoffs at the notion of having a go-to scorer.
Instead, she champions a balanced attack on offense featuring multiple players that can put the ball in the hoop.
“If you have one person as your ‘go-to girl,’ then your opponents have one person to really focus on shutting down,” Butler said. “Then, you don’t have a ‘go-to girl’ anymore.”
While Butler’s philosophy may just be coach speak, it has proven viable for the Gators so far this season. Florida is 6-1 thanks largely to an abundance of reliable scoring options.
Four Gators average double-digit points, a stark improvement compared to last season when guard Jordan Jones’ 10.2 mark led the team.
Jones ranks second on the squad through seven games with 12.6 points per contest, but her best performance was a UF career-high 28 points in an 85-74 win against La Salle last Friday.
“Everybody on the team — every time Jordan catches it — screams, ‘Shoot!’ And that’s a great confidence builder for her,” Butler said. “Jordan is one of the best shooters in the country.”
One breakout threat this season has been junior forward Jennifer George, whose 13.4 points per game leads the Gators.
“She has no idea what a difference she makes,” Jones said. “(She’s) really making other teams respect her.”
Guard Lanita Bartley singled out George’s 18-point, 15-rebound performance against La Salle as a “beast” performance.
While Jones and George lead the team, the point guards have provided help for the Gators this season.
Bartley ranks third on the squad with 12.1 points per game after having a career-best 28 points in last Saturday’s 82-73 win against Charlotte.
Meanwhile, Jaterra Bonds is scoring 10.3 points per contest despite a slow start to the season.
“So much of this guard scoring came as a result of the defense,” Butler said. “The points off turnovers, generating defensive momentum and energy that led to easy baskets. That’s our favorite kind of offense.”
In the season opener against Michigan, it seemed like Florida had designated Jones as its “go-to girl.”
She led the Gators with 21 points in a 69-66 loss to the Wolverines, taking 13 of the team’s 27 3-point shots. During that game, George only attempted one shot.
However, during its six-game winning streak, UF has spread the ball around.
The Gators have had four different leading scorers and seven players reach double-digit points during the run.
Five of the seven players to score in double figures did so multiple times.
In tonight’s matchup with No. 11 Rutgers (6-0) at 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida will have multiple strategies to get the ball in the basket.
Scoring options include feeding the ball to George in the paint, letting Jones set up from beyond the arc, or having Bartley drive the lane for potential three-point plays.
But offense will take a backseat to the Gators’ defensive mentality.
“We spend most of our time in preparing for teams by how we’re going to defend them,” Butler said. “If we can defend them, then we’re going to score.”
Guard Jordan Jones (33) averages 12.6 points per game to help lead a balanced Gators attack this year.
