Sports | Women's Basketball - The Independent Florida Alligator

Guard Funda Nakkasoglu led the Gators in scoring with 43 points through the first two games. She's the only UF player shooting over 50.0 percent from the field (57.1).

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators women’s basketball crumbles in turnover-ridden blowout to Miss. State

By Justin Ahlum | Feb. 8, 2018

With under a minute to go in the third quarter and the game well out of reach, Mississippi State’s Zion Campbell drove through the lane. Her layup went off the glass and through the bottom of the net, giving the Bulldogs a 36-point lead and doubling Florida’s total points in the process.

Guard Delicia Washington released her potential game-winning layup too late as time expired in regulation. Florida went to overtime with Northwestern and lost, 83-74.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Delicia Washington, Gators women’s basketball team hopes to continue growth against No. 2 Mississippi State

By Morgan McMullen | Feb. 7, 2018

Delicia Washington plays like a cheetah on a sugar rush.

After losing his eighth conference game of the season, UF coach Cameron Newbauer remained positive about his team's effort. “I could not be more proud of this group and their fight tonight on the road against a top-15 team,” he said.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida women’s basketball team showing potential despite recent losses

By Justin Ahlum | Feb. 6, 2018

With slightly over seven minutes remaining in Monday night’s game, Florida held a one-point lead over No. 15 Missouri. However, when the last shot missed the rim and the contest went final, the Gators dropped their eighth SEC game of the season and their third straight conference game against a ranked opponent.

Florida guard Delicia Washington turned in a season-high 23 points Monday night in a losing effort against No. 15 Missouri.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida’s women’s basketball team comes up short, drops third consecutive conference game

By Morgan McMullen | Feb. 5, 2018

Down by two with 10 seconds remaining, Florida guard Funda Nakkasoglu circled to the right-side corner. She picked up her dribble after her defender stepped up. Five seconds left. Nakkasoglu made an outlet pass to teammate Delicia Washington, who instantly felt the presence of a Missouri player in her face. Three seconds left. Washington gave up the ball to forward Haley Lorenzen at the top of the key, who heaved a desperation three-pointer from well beyond the arc.

Coach Cameron Newbauer used Florida's recent bye week as an opportunity to hit the recruiting trail.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida facing No. 15 Missouri tonight following bye week

By Morgan McMullen | Feb. 4, 2018

For Florida women’s basketball players Haley Lorenzen and Funda Nakkasoglu, there’s one phrase that comes to mind to describe the past week.

Graduate transfer Paulina Hersler is posting career highs in points per game(12.2), rebounds per game(6.8) and three-point percentage (37 percent) during her time as a Gator.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Paulina Hersler paying dividends for Gators women’s basketball team this season

By Justin Ahlum | Jan. 29, 2018

Before Paulina Hersler came to UF, the graduate transfer started only two games at UCLA and averaged under 11 minutes per game. Now, at a new program under a new head coach, the forward from Sweden has shined throughout the season, playing well in the paint and stretching the floor with her ability to shoot the ball from long range.

Florida guard Funda Nakkasoglu's 19 points against Georgia on Sunday wasn't enough to propel the Gators to a win over the Bulldogs.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida women’s basketball team blows fourth-quarter lead, falls to No. 21 Georgia

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 28, 2018

As the final seconds ticked away in the third quarter, Florida clung to a five-point lead. With Georgia dribbling out the clock for the final shot of the period, UF guard Funda Nakkasoglu and forward Haley Lorenzen double-teamed Georgia’s Que Morrison and forced a turnover. Nakkasoglu grabbed the loose ball, raced down the court and banked in a buzzer-beating layup.

Florida guard Funda Nakkasoglu scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the Gators' 90-53 loss to Mississippi State on Thursday night.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators women’s basketball team flounders in blowout defeat against No. 2 Mississippi State

By Justin Ahlum | Jan. 25, 2018

It was sink or swim for the Florida women's basketball team as it hit the road to play against the second-ranked team in the nation on Thursday.

Senior forward Haley Lorenzen is nearly averaging a double-double (12.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game) this season. On Tuesday, she was named SEC Player of the Week after helping UF to its first two conference wins.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Haley Lorenzen, Gators women’s basketball team preparing for No. 2 Mississippi State

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 24, 2018

As senior forward Haley Lorenzen pulled down her final rebound Sunday afternoon against Ole Miss, there were no opponents around her. Her boxout created enough space to take one step to her right, elevate and bank home the eventual game-winning score with 27 seconds left on the clock.

Haley Lorenzen had 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in the fourth quarter of a 61-60 win against Ole Miss at the O'Connell Center on Sunday.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Haley Lorenzen, Delicia Washington stepping up for Gators in recent back-to-back victories

By Justin Ahlum | Jan. 22, 2018

Entering the fourth quarter down by 13, the Florida women’s basketball team was on the brink of another SEC loss on its home floor. But forward Haley Lorenzen had other ideas.

After losing its first five SEC games, the Florida women's basketball team is on a current two-game winning streak, defeating Ole Miss 61-60 on Sunday afternoon.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators stage late comeback, defeat Ole Miss at O'Dome

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 21, 2018

With a raucous home crowd surrounding them, the Gators broke their huddle and trotted out for one more defensive possession. Eight seconds remained in the game, and Ole Miss needed a bucket to pull back into the lead.

Forward Paulina Hersler tied her career high with 19 points in Florida's 65-51 win over Arkansas, its first conference victory in the Cameron Newbauer era.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Paulina Hersler, Haley Lorenzen lead UF women’s basketball team to first SEC win of 2018

By Justin Ahlum | Jan. 18, 2018

At the start of the third quarter, Florida forward Paulina Hersler received a pass and pulled up from the top of the key for the Gators’ first shot of the frame. The shot went straight through the basket, increasing UF’s lead over Arkansas to double digits and jump starting a 14-4 run to start the second half.

“This group responds,” coach Cameron Newbauer said. “They respond from film, they respond from just their own personal thoughts from the game. I look forward to practice each day because of that.”

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Coach Newbauer all smiles before Thursday’s matchup with Arkansas

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 17, 2018

The shift in Cameron Newbauer’s mood between Sunday’s postgame press conference and Tuesday’s practice was palpable.

“It’s tough right now,” said coach Cameron Newbauer after his team's fifth consecutive loss. “We gotta keep fighting, keep figuring out a way to get better.”

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators continuing to work through struggles in midst of five-game losing streak

By Justin Ahlum | Jan. 15, 2018

After Sunday’s loss to LSU marked Florida’s fifth straight defeat, UF women’s basketball coach Cameron Newbauer spent the opening moments of his press conference with his head down as he spoke to reporters.

Haley Lorenzen matched a season high with 20 points and added 10 rebounds against LSU in a 66-59 loss on Sunday. “We let our mistakes kind of dictate what we were trying to do,” Lorenzen said.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators continue SEC skid against LSU, fall to 0-5 in conference play

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 14, 2018

Down by 15 with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Florida women’s basketball team played like a group desperate for its first conference win.

Funda Nakkasoglu, Florida's leading scorer with 15.2 points per game, struggled to put away buckets against Kentucky. She shot 3-of-15 from the field for 8 points.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida’s shooting woes continue as Gators drop fourth straight SEC game

By Justin Ahlum | Jan. 11, 2018

Trailing by two with less than seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Gators inbounded the ball in front of their bench. After a cross-court pass from forward Haley Lorenzen found guard Funda Nakkasoglu open on the right side of the court, Nakkasoglu attempted an off-balance three-pointer.

Gabby Seiler was recruited by Cameron Newbauer while he was an assistant coach with Georgia. Nearly nine years later and after leading UF soccer to a 17-7 record and an NCAA quarterfinals appearance, Seiler is finally on his team.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Women’s Basketball Notebook: Seiler partakes in first practice with UF ahead of Thursday’s game against Kentucky

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 10, 2018

With sophomore guard Sydney Morang ruled out for the season in late November with concussion-like symptoms, the Florida women’s basketball team has lacked backcourt depth at practice for most of the year.

“You just start an SEC season, where everybody is bigger, faster, stronger, quicker,” said coach Cameron Newbauer after a loss to Alabama. “And you’ve gotta be tougher immediately. There’s no days off.”

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Newbauer frustrated following Florida women’s basketball team’s 0-3 SEC start

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 8, 2018

Coach Cameron Newbauer was nearly at a loss for words to describe his team’s nine-point defeat against Alabama on Thursday.

Dyandria Anderson scored 12 points, including the final bucket in regulation, in a double-overtime thriller against Ole Miss.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators climb back from double-digit deficit but fall to Ole Miss in double OT

By Justin Ahlum | Jan. 7, 2018

After receiving an inbound pass at the top of the key, Florida forward Paulina Hersler pulled up with five seconds left in the fourth quarter. Down by two, Hersler missed a shot to the right of the rim, but guard Dyandria Anderson pulled down an offensive rebound and scored a layup with less than one second remaining to send the game to overtime.

Haley Lorenzen ended the game with 14 points on 55 percent shooting from the field, but could not come up with a bucket late in Thursday night's against Alabama.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida drops to 0-2 in SEC play following close loss to ‘Bama

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 4, 2018

Florida forward Haley Lorenzen called for the ball with just over five minutes left in the game. After setting a screen for a streaking teammate, Lorenzen posted up Alabama’s Ashley Williams, boxing her out beneath the basket before snatching an inlet pass from teammate Delicia Washington with both hands. She raised up for the layup, was fouled by Williams and ultimately landed a pair of late free throws to go up by two.