Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Freshman Duarte Vale and junior McClain Kessler lost 7-5 in their doubles match against Texas A&M on Friday. The Gators eventually fell to the Aggies 4-0 in the opening round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Florida men’s tennis team swept by Aggies in opening round of ITA national indoor championships

By Benjamin Brandt | Feb. 16, 2018

For the second time in three matches, freshman Duarte Vale and junior McClain Kessler played from behind with the doubles point on the line. Unlike their comeback win against No. 11 Michigan on Feb. 9 – in which Vale and Kessler saved two match points – the pair lost 7-5 on Friday as No. 6 Texas A&M swept the No. 11 Florida men’s tennis team 4-0 in the first round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Seattle.

Florida's top two pitchers, Brady Singer (above) and Jackson Kowar, could be UF's highest pair of flamethrowers selected in the MLB Draft in program history.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

A PAIR OF ACES: Florida has featured an abundance of elite arms in recent years. This year’s pocket rockets could be the best of them all

By Ethan Bauer | Feb. 16, 2018

Senior Alejandro Tosti paced the Gators at the NCAA Championships with an opening round of even par.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Coach J.C. Deacon ready for men’s golf season-opener

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 16, 2018

After a long winter break, the Florida men’s golf team will begin its season this weekend at the SunTrust Gator Invitational in Gainesville.

Coach Mike Holloway's distance medley relay teams will look to rebound after the men's and women's runners dropped one and two spots in the rankings, respectively.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TRACK

UF distance medley relay team set to compete in qualifying race before NCAAs

By Alanis Thames | Feb. 16, 2018

With the 2018 SEC Indoor Championships set to begin next week, Florida’s distance medley relay team will compete in a qualifying race today at the UCS Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Senior attacker Shayna Pirreca and her upperclassman teammates will attempt to lead a young Gators squad over No. 1 Maryland on Saturday.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS LACROSSE

Florida preparing for matchup with top-ranked Maryland

By Tyler Nettuno | Feb. 16, 2018

Since its inception, Florida lacrosse has played Maryland three times. It has lost every one.

Junior Kelly Barnhill tossed her third career no-hitter in the Gators' home-opening win over North Florida Thursday night.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Gators travel to Louisiana for matchup with Cajuns

By Mark Stine | Feb. 16, 2018

It has been easy for the Florida softball team in the early going.

Despite guard Funda Nakkasoglu's 24-point performance against Texas A&M on Thursday, the Florida women's basketball team fell to the Aggies 85-80.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators suffer sixth straight loss against ranked opponent

By Justin Ahlum | Feb. 16, 2018

With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter and the Florida women’s basketball team down by one possession, Texas A&M had the ball. From the right wing, freshman Chennedy Carter pulled up from three and watched as her shot fell through the basket.

Coach Bryan Shelton and his team will head to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to face off with Ole Miss in the Round of 16.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

No. 11 Florida to open ITA National Team Indoor Championships against No. 6 Texas A&M

By Benjamin Brandt | Feb. 16, 2018

The Seattle Tennis Club sits on the rocky shores of Lake Washington with a distant view of Mount Rainier. The choppy, blue waters and the snow-topped mountain will serve as the backdrop to this weekend’s ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

Florida guard Chris Chiozza will play a big role in Saturday's matchup against Vanderbilt.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

UF looking to end late-game woes on Saturday against Vandy

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 16, 2018

When Yante Maten drilled his second three-pointer in 12 seconds, another Florida lead died. The 11-point advantage the Gators built crumbled during a furious Georgia comeback, a loss Florida coach Mike White called as tough as any he’d experienced.

Amelia Hundley is prepared for tonight’s road meet against UGA. “We don’t have the 10,000 fans cheering for us,” she said, “so we have to make sure to bring that energy.”

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

UF hoping to win fourth straight SEC meet tonight against UGA

By Alana Gomez | Feb. 16, 2018

At the beginning of its practice on Tuesday, the Florida gymnastics team wasn’t rehearsing its sprints on vault or tweaking its routine on balance beam. It wasn’t even preparing to warm up. Instead, each member of the team had a smile on her face and a lacrosse stick in her hand as the team competed in a small lacrosse scrimmage.

Center John Egbunu has not played in a game this season due to a knee injury.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

John Egbunu might not be back, but could that be better for Florida?

By Skyler Lebron | Feb. 16, 2018

At the beginning of the regular season, Florida men’s basketball coach Mike White relayed to the media what team doctors were telling him about injured center John Egbunu. Late January was the targeted time period for the redshirt senior’s return.

Senior Taylor Tomlinson is tied for 12th after two rounds in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship in New Orleans.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Florida women’s golf team looks to move on from seventh-place finish at Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge

By Chris O'Brien | Feb. 14, 2018

The No. 20 Florida women’s golf team didn’t have the showing it wanted on par-3 holes during its first event of the spring — the Florida Challenge in Lecanto, Florida — on Jan. 29. The Gators shot 9 over on the course’s shortest holes, a tie for the third-worst mark in the competition, hindering its chances of pulling off a victory.

Mike Okauru provided a surprise burst off the bench in Wednesday's loss to Georgia. The freshman guard posted 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Mike White disappointed in defensive struggles, Mike Okauru has breakout performance

By Jake Dreilinger | Feb. 14, 2018

Georgia forward Pape Diatta raced toward the right corner of the court and collected a rebound off his own missed three-pointer with 6:11 left in the second half.

California native Chloe Kim won gold in the women's halfpipe event Tuesday at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Few care about snowboarding most of the time. Why do the Winter Olympics change that?

By Ethan Bauer | Feb. 14, 2018

I never watch snowboarding, and you probably don’t either.

Coach Mike White said Wednesday night's loss to Georgia was the toughest he has had to endure as a head coach. “We shouldn’t have even been in overtime," he said. "We had some miscommunication.”

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators collapse in final seconds of regulation, fall in overtime to Georgia

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 14, 2018

Nursing a six-point lead with 17 seconds left to play, the Gators men’s basketball team gave up a three-point shot to Georgia forward Yante Maten. Florida still led 59-56.

Despite five consecutive losses, coach Cameron Newbauer likes the progress he has seen in his team. "I’m just so proud of our squad,” he said.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators women’s basketball wraps up 6-game stretch against ranked teams with matchup against No. 17 Texas A&M

By Morgan McMullen | Feb. 14, 2018

If the Gators women’s basketball team was disappointed following its fifth consecutive loss of SEC play on Sunday, it hardly showed. Instead, coach Cameron Newbauer and his players talked about the fight and pride that has been a staple of postgame press conferences and pre-practice soundbites all season long.

Starting in center field against North Florida, senior Aleshia Ocasio finished with two RBIs. She recorded at least one RBI for the fourth consecutive game.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida softball win streak continues with home-opener shutout of North Florida

By Mari Faiello | Feb. 14, 2018

With a 1-1 count in the bottom of the first inning, Florida catcher Janell Wheaton got ready for a third pitch.

Coach Roland Thornqvist said he isn't concerned about his team's losing record at this point in the season. “I think the process of discovery is really important to this team,” he said.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Women’s Tennis season off to rough start after ITA indoor tournament

By River Wells | Feb. 14, 2018

At this time last year, the Florida women’s tennis team remained undefeated at 7-0 after winning the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

Taylor Tomlinson, the Gators' lone senior on the team, finished the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at 9 over par, good for a tie for 23rd.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Florida women’s golf team finishes seventh on final day of Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge

By Chris O'Brien | Feb. 13, 2018

Florida women’s golf coach Emily Glaser knew the field at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge would be tough. She knew she needed someone on her team to step up.

Senior Caeleb Dressel and the men's team begins its title defense on Wednesday at the SEC Championships.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

UF men’s swimming and diving team aiming to win sixth straight SEC title, women’s team looking to end nine-year drought

By Jacob McManamon | Feb. 13, 2018

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are in College Station, Texas, this week as they are set to begin the SEC Championships.