Florida blows lead, drops first SEC matchup
By Dylan Rudolph | Jan. 3, 2019The Gators had finally gotten back in the game. They had blown their early 20-point lead but now had the game tied again with momentum on their side.
The Gators had finally gotten back in the game. They had blown their early 20-point lead but now had the game tied again with momentum on their side.
Guard Funda Nakkasoglu found her deep shot at the right time. She rose up without hesitation and made back-to-back threes, the ball slicing through the net and giving the Gators the lead late in the third quarter.
Teams rarely have a chance to avenge a non-conference loss in college basketball.
The expression on UF guard Jalen Hudson’s face was one no one has seen in a while.
Florida guard Danielle Rainey’s game-tying three-point attempt at the buzzer came up short as UNLV defeated the Florida women’s basketball team 56-53 for its second loss in as many nights.
Coach Cam Newbauer stressed that defense would be key before the Florida women’s basketball team’s game against Utah. Going against the 25th-best scoring offense in the nation is no simple task, and his young team had its hands full.
It was perhaps a harder-fought victory than the Gators intended. It wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t without some obvious shooting deficiencies. But it was a win, regardless.
The return of leading scorer Funda Nakkasoglu wasn’t enough for the Florida women’s basketball team to earn its fourth-consecutive victory.
Forward Zada Williams scored a career-high 16 points at the O’Connell Center to lead the Gators women’s basketball team to their third straight win, a 62-38 thrashing of Florida A&M.
The Gators played from behind all afternoon. They trailed for over 38 minutes of game time after jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead, but they still had a chance at the end.
Bethune-Cookman guard Angel Golden drove to the basket in the second quarter looking to end Florida’s 5-0 run. She, instead, met a sea of orange as all five UF defenders converged on her in the paint, disrupting her shot and sending her to the floor in a heap.
Just five current players were on the roster the last time the Florida women’s basketball team won two games in a row.
It isn’t always pretty.
Former guard Chris Chiozza sank a buzzer-beating, three-point floater the last time the Gators played in Madison Square Garden.
Guard Delicia Washington waited for her opportunity like a tiger on the hunt. A pass early in the third quarter that hung in the air just a little too long allowed the 5-foot-10 guard to step right in front and take it to the other end for an easy basket.
The Florida women’s basketball team is off to its worst start in program history, losing all six games so far. Here are three things to look out for as the Gators try to get their season on track, starting on Sunday when they take on Texas Tech:
The Florida women’s basketball team once again had a chance to earn its first win of the year. They had a second half lead, and were down by only two points with eight minutes left. Funda Nakkasoglu was writing another chapter in her brilliant season en route to a 23-point performance.
“I’ll play walk-ons. I don’t care.”
The Florida women’s basketball team welcomes Northeastern to the O’Connell Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the first of a four-game homestand. The Huskies are the third-straight undefeated team UF will face.
A poor finish against Butler turned into a sluggish start for Florida’s basketball team against North Florida on Wednesday night.