Coming off the high of a three-game winning streak, the Gators suffered yet another close loss.
Florida (16-9, 6-6 Southeastern Conference) fell to No. 24 South Carolina (19-6, 8-4 SEC) 62-58 on the road Sunday. The defeat drops UF’s record in games decided by six points or fewer this season to 2-8.
“Both times we played South Carolina, we played a good second half and don’t show up for the first half,” coach Amanda Butler said. “The first half, we were on our heels adjusting to everything they were doing from the opening tip.”
Similar to their previous losses, the Gators had multiple opportunities to come away with a win against the Gamecocks.
Florida arguably incurred the most damage from the 3-point line, posting a 26.7 percentage for the game. Meanwhile, South Carolina finished the day with a 61.5 percent clip from beyond the arc, boosted by a 7-of-10 effort in the first half.
The Gamecocks came into the game ranked last in the SEC with a 26.4 3-point shooting percentage.
“[South Carolina] just did a good job of finishing behind screens,” Butler said. “We had a lot of defensive miscues.”
Florida’s defensive play down the stretch helped put the Gators within striking distance. UF held South Carolina to just one made field goal in the game’s final five minutes.
However, the Gators also endured a dry spell, finishing the second half 1-of-8 shooting with four turnovers. Butler said the error-prone play hampered UF in transition.
“(We) didn’t do a good job of stopping the momentum of their guards, didn’t do a good job of matching up,” Butler said. “They had individuals that, when they were left open, knocked down shots and made big plays in big times.”
Both teams combined for just nine turnovers in a low-error first half but did not follow suit in the second. UF had 11 turnovers after halftime compared to nine by the Gamecocks.
Junior forward Jennifer George had the best statistical day, notching team-high marks with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
George recorded her 13th double-double of the season and led Florida in scoring for the first time since putting up 15 points in a 61-37 win over Alabama on Jan. 19.
“[Getting George the ball] was an emphasis the whole ball game,” Butler said. “We just did a really poor job, especially the first five minutes of the second half, of passing to Jennifer.”
The loss to South Carolina drops UF to 6-6 in conference play, all but eliminating the Gators from the SEC race.
UF remains in competition for a top-four finish, which would guarantee a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.
“We put ourselves in position, but didn’t take advantage,” Butler said. “We were just adjusting the whole game.”
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
