The Gators vowed to change their losing ways, to revert back to the team that opened the season 11-3 prior to a disastrous January when Florida lost six of its eight games.
But February has quickly become just as disappointing.
Despite erasing a double-digit halftime deficit, UF let another winnable game slip through its hands, losing 68-57 to Vanderbilt on Thursday night in the O’Connell Center.
The loss drops UF to 2-3 this month and 2-8 in its past 10 games.
“Very disappointed,” coach Amanda Butler said. “I can get my thesaurus out if you want me to, but frustrated really sums it up best, because there is a level of potential we are not reaching.”
Trailing 26-15 to open the second half, Florida (15-12, 4-9 Southeastern Conference) turned to Jennifer George to mount a comeback. Behind George, the team’s only senior, the Gators went on a 15-4 run to take a 32-30 lead with 12:10 remaining, their first lead since early in the first half.
George finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, her first double-double since suffering a dislocated right shoulder against LSU on Jan. 6.
But Florida’s early second-half run proved unsustainable. Vanderbilt responded with runs of 9-0 and 15-3 to regain a 58-44 lead with 2:42 left in the game.
“We have some key people that fatigue rules their life,” Butler said. “As soon as they get tired, then their level of play drops significantly. That’s really hard to overcome.”
Senior forward Tiffany Clarke picked up the slack for the Commodores, who were without leading scorer Christina Foggie. The junior guard missed her third straight game after suffering a knee injury against Kentucky on Feb. 10.
Clarke scored a game-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting.
“She had her way with us on the low block,” Butler said. “Her teammates did a great job of finding her. … I guess we need to play more zone. I just feel like we’re better than that.”
Vanderbilt (17-9, 7-6 SEC) harassed Florida into its worst opening half of the season. The Gators made just 7 of their 26 attempts from the floor before halftime. Coupled with 12 turnovers, UF scored a first-half season-low 15 points.
The Commodores capitalized on the slow start, using a 12-3 run to end the first half with a 26-15 lead.
“We’re having trouble sustaining our energy throughout the game,” George said. “That’s a reason we are having these lulls. When we fix that problem, we will become a better team.”
Freshman Sydney Moss led the Gators with 15 points but hoisted a career-high 21 shots. She also pulled down 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
“I could care less about the rebounds and points,” Moss said. “I would rather just win, whether I’m sitting on the bench being the water girl or passing the ball in.”
Contact Phillip Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org
Jennifer George (32) shoots during Florida’s 62-57 loss to Georgia on Sunday in the O’Connell Center. George notched her ninth double-double of the season in Florida's 69-58 win against Arkansas on Thursday.
