Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Florida forward Keyontae Johnson drives toward the basket during UF's loss to Kentucky on Feb. 2.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Defense, Johnson lead Gators past Arkansas in SEC Tournament

By Alanis Thames | Mar. 14, 2019

The intensity matched the stakes.

Senior Kelly Barnhill tallied a season-high 14 strikeouts Against Arizona State in the Gators' 7-2 win on Friday night.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

By the Numbers: Do the Gators have the best pitching staff in the SEC?

By Brendan Farrell | Mar. 14, 2019

The No. 7 Gators softball team started SEC play with a series loss to Tennessee, and they travel to No. 9 LSU for a series starting on Saturday.

Florida first baseman Kendrick Calilao is tied for ninth in the NCAA in RBIs with 25.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida hosts MSU to open SEC play

By Kyle Wood | Mar. 14, 2019

A surging offense will meet one of the best pitching staffs in the SEC this weekend at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium when Florida hosts Mississippi State in its second-consecutive top-10 matchup.

Florida attacker Lindsey Ronbeck scored four goals during UF’s 16-9 road win over Colorado.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS LACROSSE

Florida falls to Syracuse in closing seconds

By Bryan Matamoros | Mar. 13, 2019

Syracuse attacker Emily Hawryschuk wreaked havoc on Florida’s women’s lacrosse team.

Senior McClain Kessler fell in the second round of singles play at the ITA All-American Championships as well as in the second round of doubles play with partner Sam Riffice.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Gators upset defending champion Wake Forest

By Noah Ram | Mar. 13, 2019

The crowd was ready for it.

Senior Kelly Barnhill pitched a complete-game shutout in the Gators' 5-0 win over UCF on Wednesday.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Pitching, three-run third carries Florida in win

By Brendan Farrell | Mar. 13, 2019

Coach Tim Walton stressed that he needed more production from the bottom of the lineup after Florida’s series loss to Tennessee leading up to Wednesday night’s game against UCF.

The  UF men's and women's swimming teams collected numerous victories and personal records at Auburn’s James E. Martin Aquatics Center in a field with with nine of the 12 teams competing ranked in the top-25 nationally.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Madden shines in NCAA Diving Zones

By Jack Braverman | Mar. 12, 2019

A combined preliminary and final score of 602.95 was more than enough for Brooke Madden to return to the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive year.

Sophomore Oliver Crawford is undefeated in doubles play and has just one singles loss this year.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Florida hosts defending champions Demon Deacons

By Noah Ram | Mar. 12, 2019

Then-freshman Oliver Crawford clinched the Florida men’s tennis team’s 4-3 upset win over then-No. 1 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, last season.

Edge rusher Jachai Polite's Twitter handle is @RetireMoms. He wants to make sure his mother is financially secure for the rest of her life.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Jachai Polite should’ve stayed at UF

By Mark Stine | Mar. 12, 2019

Edge rusher Jachai Polite made headlines during the NFL Combine and not for positive reasons.

Florida outfielder Wil Dalton went 2 for 4 in UF's 20-7 win over Florida State on Tuesday night at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators blow out Seminoles behind two-inning rally

By Kyle Wood | Mar. 12, 2019

The streak was in jeopardy.

Kentucky coach John Calipari and the Wildcats enter the SEC Tournament as the No. 2-seed, where they will play the winner of Ole Miss and Alabama on Friday.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Predicting which team will win the SEC Tournament

Mar. 12, 2019

Kentucky

Coach Tim Walton said he plans to utilize the versatility of his roster. “Every series, we’ll have a different lineup," he said.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Three numbers to know ahead of UF’s matchup with UCF

By Brendan Farrell | Mar. 12, 2019

The No. 7 Gators (22-4) are looking to rebound after a series loss to Tennessee at home to open SEC play. UCF is 5-1 in its last six games ahead of Wednesday’s game and sit at a 17-8 record ahead of its first road game of the season.

Florida coach Amanda O’Leary (pictured) and the Gators lacrosse team return to Donald R. Dizney Stadium to face their fifth ranked opponent of the season.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS LACROSSE

Gators host fourth-ranked Syracuse after month long road trip

By Bryan Matamoros | Mar. 12, 2019

The Florida’s women’s lacrosse team has not played at home since Feb. 14 when it lost to No. 2 Maryland 17-12.

Sophomore Victoria Emma won her singles match, but she and McCartney Kessler lost their third consecutive doubles match as a pair. The Gators women’s tennis team fell 4-3 to the No. 30 Knights on Sunday night.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Florida tames Tigers in 4-1 win

By Victor Prieto | Mar. 10, 2019

Tsveta Dimitrova clinched her fist and casually strolled toward her opponent as Taylor Gruber’s shot collided with the net. Dimitrova claimed her fifth singles victory and the Florida women’s tennis team’s second-consecutive road win over a top-50 team.

Junior Marta Perez (+1) is in eighth after two rounds at the Longhorn Invite.  UF (+10) is currently in 10th.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators win their own event for the fourth-consecutive year

By Bryan Matamoros | Mar. 10, 2019

Florida’s women’s golf team entered the final round of the Florida Gators Invitational in second place at even par, three strokes behind first-place Miami.

UF men’s tennis player Johannes Ingildsen won his match against UCF’s Trey Hilderbrand 6-4, 7-5 on Friday night.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

UF improves to 3-0 in SEC play

By Noah Ram | Mar. 10, 2019

The No. 9 Florida men’s tennis team knew that this match would be different.

Florida coach Mike White and the Gators lost their final three games of the regular season and finished 17-14. UF plays Arkansas in the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators hope to boost NCAA resume at SEC Tournament

By Jake Dreilinger | Mar. 10, 2019

The future for the Florida men’s basketball team seems bleak.

Senior Nelson Maldonado went 2 for 3 at the plate with one run and three RBIs in Florida's 15-0 win over FGCU on Tuesday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

UF is trending upwards with difficult stretch ahead

By Kyle Wood | Mar. 10, 2019

The nature of the Florida baseball team’s opponents and outcomes through 18 games have made it difficult to gauge where the Gators are.

UF junior Grant Holloway ran the 60-meter hurdles in 7.43 seconds at the Tyson Invitational. The time was one millisecond off of his personal record.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TRACK

Gators repeat as indoor champions

By Graham Marsh | Mar. 10, 2019

For the second time in as many years, and for the fifth time since 2010, the Florida men’s track and field team won the NCAA Indoor Championship.

UF first baseman Amanda Lorenz went 3 for 3 with two home runs and five RBIs against Tennessee on Sunday.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Gators avoid sweep, run rule Volunteers at home

By Mark Stine | Mar. 10, 2019

Tennessee center fielder Cailin Hannon sprinted backward and tracked the softball as it gradually descended into her path. She outstretched her glove to make the catch, then ☺— WHAM!