The Florida Gators (6-1) took home its third victory in a row, 68-58, against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2) in Atlanta Wednesday.
Florida started slow against the Jackets but managed to pull away with a 10-point lead in the third quarter and maintained it by the end of the game.
Freshman Leila Reynolds carried the first quarter, scoring the first half of Florida’s points. The Gators went through a 3 minute scoring drought, allowing Georgia Tech to go on a 10-0 scoring run.
Florida missed 6 free throws in a row. Senior center Ra Shaya Kyle made 4 points at the end of the quarter, trying to close the 7-point gap. The Gators finished the first quarter trailing 17-14.
The Gators’ first three points in the second were from free throws by Reynolds and Kyle. Florida fell 7 points behind within the first 5 minutes.
Junior guard Alberte Rimdal hit a field goal to cut the deficit to five. The Gators closed the first-quarter gap with a 6-0 run, ending the first half trailing 28-27. Senior guard Leilani Correa went 1-6 from the free throw line as Florida struggled to convert at the charity stripe.
The third quarter picked up quickly, with a free throw by each team within the first minute. Florida finally tied the game at 32, until Tech’s freshman Rusne Augustinaite scored a 3-pointer right after.
The Gators went on a 10-0 run, putting them ahead for the first time all game. With 1:30 left in the quarter, Florida was up by 6.
Senior guard Aliyah Matharu had a hot third, scoring 11 points. The Gators ended the third quarter on a 3-in-a-row field goal streak, 53-44.
The Gators started the fourth with nine players who had scored, compared to four on Georgia Tech. Augustinaite scored her fifth 3-pointer, a career high for her.
She ended the game with 30 points. Florida maintained its lead throughout the quarter, leading 63-53 with a little more than three minutes remaining. Reynolds went 8-13 in field goals and 1-1 in 3-pointers.
The Gators increased their lead 67-55 after a two minute scoring drought for Georgia Tech with one minute left in the game. Matharu scored the final point on a free throw, ending the game with a Florida win, 68-58.
Florida is now on a three-game winning streak. They face Marshall in West Virginia Saturday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
Contact Lacey Rogers at lrogers@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @laceyyrog.
Lacey Rogers is a third-year journalism major and sports reporter for The Alligator. She is a huge Washington Capitals fan and hopes to work for them after she finishes school.
