Sports | Basketball - The Independent Florida Alligator

NBA commissioner Adam Silver switched up the All-Star Game's mechanics for the 2017-18 season.

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Dear Adam Silver: Show the draft, please

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 18, 2018

Show the draft!

Dyandria Anderson celebrated Senior Day by going 6 of 9 from the field for 16 points while dishing out four assists.

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Gators women’s basketball teams sends off seniors with blowout victory over Commodores

By Justin Ahlum | Feb. 18, 2018

A hand in her face didn’t stop Dyandria Anderson. From the left wing of the three-point line, the senior guard shot over her defender, finding nothing but the bottom of the net and giving Florida a 16-point lead midway through the third quarter.

Guard Chris Chiozza scored just six points in Saturday's loss to Vanderbilt.

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Gators lacking consistency from back court during recent stretch

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 18, 2018

Consistency.

Guard Egor Koulechov had a chance to tie up the game late, but his shot wouldn't go down. He finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

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Gators choke away another game in three-point loss to Commodores

By Skyler Lebron | Feb. 17, 2018

Down 71-68 with 8.9 seconds left, the Gators had a chance to tie the score.

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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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.

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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.

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.”

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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.

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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.

Florida men's basketball coach Mike White isn't satisfied with his team's defense despite it holding South Carolina to a season-low 41 points on Saturday. “I don’t want to act like this is a new season and we’ve got it all all figured out," he said.

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Gators men’s basketball team geared up for matchup with Bulldogs

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 13, 2018

More than three quarters of the way through a season filled with highs and lows, the Florida men’s basketball team faces Georgia tonight at 9 in the O’Connell Center in the teams’ second meeting of the year. The Gators (17-8, 8-4 SEC) fell 72-60 at Georgia (13-11, 4-8 SEC) on Jan. 30, their second of three straight SEC losses, but enter tonight’s matchup riding momentum from convincing wins over LSU and South Carolina. Here are three things to look for in tonight’s rematch, which will air on the SEC Network.

Coach Cameron Newbauer said even with mounting loses, he's happy with the mentality of his team. “They’ve bought into just being the best we can every moment and not playing the scoreboard,” he said.

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Despite UF’s women’s basketball team’s current five-game losing streak, coach Cameron Newbauer isn’t deterred

By Justin Ahlum | Feb. 13, 2018

It has been a rough past couple of weeks for Florida’s women’s basketball team.

Florida center Kevarrius Hayes recorded five rebounds and two blocks in the Gators' 65-41 win over South Carolina on Saturday.

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Strong defense sets bar for Gators against South Carolina

By Jake Dreilinger | Feb. 12, 2018

South Carolina guard Frank Booker sprinted toward the basket on a fastbreak opportunity midway through the second half. With no one in his sight, Booker went up for what appeared to be an easy layup, only to have Florida center Kevarrius Hayes come from behind to swat the ball off the backboard and into the hands of guard Jalen Hudson.

Florida guards Funda Nakkasoglu (pictured) and Delicia Washington combined for 56 points in UF’s 92-82 loss against Mercer.

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Florida women’s basketball team drops fifth in a row in loss to South Carolina

By Morgan McMullen | Feb. 11, 2018

Just over a minute into the third quarter, South Carolina forward A’ja Wilson mirrored her teammates’ ball movement across the floor as she shuffled from one side of the paint to the other. Guard Doniyah Cliney received a pass and immediately spotted Wilson posting up just to the right of the lane. With a lob into Wilson, Florida forward Paulina Hersler abandoned her inside position to take a swipe at the ball.

Forward Kevarrius Hayes led a resurgent Florida defense against South Carolina Saturday afternoon. The junior provided two blocks and five rebounds in 15 minutes.

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Florida men’s basketball team shuts down South Carolina, cruises to 65-41 victory

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 10, 2018

South Carolina forward Chris Silva attacked the rim, put the ball up and had it swatted back by Florida center Kevarrius Hayes.

Florida guard Egor Koulechov looks forward to matching up against South Carolina forward Chris Silva, who recorded a double-double against UF on Jan. 24. "We'll have a good game plan," Koulechov said. "I'll do whatever I gotta do."

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UF hits road for rematch with South Carolina

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 9, 2018

Florida point guard Chris Chiozza has been posting career numbers all season. He’s scoring, rebounding and assisting at his highest rate since he stepped foot in Gainesville four years ago. The Gators men's basketball team has needed all of it in a topsy-turvy 2018 campaign.

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).

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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.

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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.

Guard KeVaughn Allen only had seven points but made a crucial bucket with under five minutes to go in a win over LSU.

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Gators bounce back from recent struggles with home win over LSU

By Skyler Lebron | Feb. 7, 2018

With 4:32 left in the game and the shot clock winding down, KeVaughn Allen had a decision to make.

Despite the Florida men's basketball team dropping three of its last four games, guard Chris Chiozza isn't worried. "We went through this before where we bounced back pretty well," he said.

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Florida men’s basketball team looking to end SEC skid Wednesday against LSU Tigers

By Andrew Huang | Feb. 6, 2018

After three straight conference losses, senior guard Chris Chiozza — leader of the reeling Florida men’s basketball team — is ready to see some changes take place during the second half of SEC play.