Florida remembered the disappointment from an overtime loss to Tennessee earlier this season.
But an early deficit brought on a similar feeling and likely will keep the Gators from advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
The top-seeded Lady Volunteers opened the game on a 17-4 run and withstood a late comeback from the Gators, defeating ninth-seeded Florida 82-73 in the third round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Duluth, Ga.
“We still have a lot of learning to do,” coach Amanda Butler said, “a lot of growing up to do.”
Freshman Sydney Moss scored a career-high 22 points on 10-of-22 shooting while collecting seven rebounds and six assists.
Moss scored Florida’s first 8 points of the game and helped the Gators battle back from their early deficit to pull within 75-69 with 50 seconds remaining in the second half.
Although UF was able to chip away, No. 9 Tennessee (24-6, 14-2 SEC) iced the game from the foul line. The Lady Volunteers finished 23 of 28 from the free throw line. Florida earned just 7 trips to the charity stripe, making 6 of their tries.
Meighan Simmons sparked Tennessee’s offense with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including four three-pointers.
Containing the junior guard has proved problematic for Florida this season. She scored 27 points in Tennessee’s 78-75 overtime victory in the O’Connell Center on Jan. 13 and was equally dynamic while battling foul trouble throughout the contest on Friday.
Junior guard Jaterra Bonds finished with 18 points. She scored 17 points in Florida’s 64-59 win against Arkansas on Thursday and has been the Gators’ most reliable offensive threat for most of the season.
Senior Jennifer George continued her enigmatic season. George collected her second foul with 15:30 remaining in the first half and scored just 6 points on 3-of-9 shooting in the game.
George suffered the second dislocation to her right shoulder in Florida’s loss to Tennessee in January and has yet to find the consistency that made her one of the conference’s elite players prior to her injury.
Florida (18-14, 6-10 SEC) will now await its postseason fate. Without a marquee victory this season and a few uncharacteristic stumbles in conference play, it is doubtful the Gators will earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The WNIT seems to be a more likely destination for the team, which never seemed to click on all cylinders this season while adjusting to an influx of young talent.
"Against a good team, you can't just pick and choose," Butler said. "You have to bring it possession to possession. You have to give Tennessee a lot of credit for how they have played."
Sydney Moss (40) pivots in Florida’s 52-44 loss to South Carolina on Jan. 20 in the O’Connell Center. Moss scored a career-high 22 points in Florida's 82-73 loss to Tennessee on Friday.
