Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Senior Alex McMurtry posted the top score of the night in uneven bars and tied for second overall in both vault and beam.

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

Gators lose to No. 1 LSU in sold out O'Connell Center

By Alana Gomez | Jan. 12, 2018

Rachel Slocum spit into her hands, once, twice, five times. She prepared her stance and sprinted toward the mat, gaining speed until she stopped just short of it. Among encouraging cheers from her teammates, Slocum positioned herself back to the start of the stretch for her second attempt and finished her vault routine with a score of 8.550.

Florida guard Egor Koulechov has bounced back from his early-season shooting struggles, connecting on 65 percent of his three-point attempts over UF's previous four games.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Koulechov finding his rhythm at start of conference play

By Jake Dreilinger | Jan. 11, 2018

Florida guard Egor Koulechov received a pass at the top of the arc five minutes into the game and drained a three-point shot to tie the score at seven apiece. In the early stages of UF’s 71-54 win against Mississippi State on Wednesday, Koulechov scored the Gators’ first 13 points of the contest.

Florida women’s tennis player Josie Kuhlman earned All-SEC First Team honors last season on the way to UF winning its seventh national championship in program history.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Gators moving on from NCAA title, begin 2018 at UNLV Invite

By River Wells | Jan. 11, 2018

The Florida women’s tennis team ended 2017 as NCAA champions and the No. 1 ranked team in the country. But in 2018, nothing is guaranteed.

Gators men’s tennis coach Bryan Shelton and eight of his players kick off the spring season today in Sunrise, Florida.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

UF opens season today at City of Sunrise Pro Tennis Classic

By Benjamin Brandt | Jan. 11, 2018

Eight members of the Florida men’s tennis team will compete in the qualifying rounds of the City of Sunrise Pro Tennis Classic this weekend in Sunrise, Florida. The tournament marks the start of UF’s spring season after earning a preseason ranking of No. 9 in the nation.

The No. 1 men's team and No. 6 women's team are set to compete in their second indoor event of the 2018 season in Nashville, Tennessee, this weekend.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TRACK

Florida hoping to build off early-season success in Nashville

By Andrew Huang | Jan. 11, 2018

The Florida men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete at the Commodore Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, today and Saturday for UF’s second meet of the 2018 indoor season.

Alicia Boren and the Gators begin their SEC schedule tonight against LSU at the O'Connell Center after an opening-night win against West Virginia. “I’m so excited definitely to get back in front of our home crowd,” Boren said. “They bring a lot of energy.”

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

Gators face No. 1 LSU at home on Friday

By Alana Gomez | Jan. 11, 2018

It’s been seven years since the Florida gymnastics team overcame No. 1 LSU in a regular-season meet. But after opening the 2018 season with a win over West Virginia on Jan. 5, a night that saw junior Alicia Boren register the highest all-around score ever to open a season in program history, No. 7 UF is hoping to end that streak.

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.

On two separate occasions this season, KeVaughn Allen has put up just two points, a far cry from UF's 2016-17 leading scorer.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Column: It’s time for KeVaughn Allen to break out of his scoring slump

By Jake Dreilinger | Jan. 10, 2018

KeVaughn Allen stole the ball nine minutes into the second half, calmly dribbled to the three-point line with no one around him and drained a shot to extend Florida’s lead by 14.

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.

Kevarrius Hayes' defense - three blocks, a pair of steals and seven rebounds - helped light the way for the Gators in Wednesday night's 71-54 win over Mississippi State.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators thrash Bulldogs in 71-54 blowout

By Skyler Lebron | Jan. 10, 2018

Florida center Kevarrius Hayes patrolled the paint midway through the second half, eyeing the ball as it moved around the perimeter. When Mississippi State guard Eli Wright drove toward the basket and attempted a layup, Hayes slapped it away, generating cheers from fans at the O’Connell Center.

Jack Szaranek was one of the top young soccer players in Dunfermline, Scotland, when a gruesome leg injury forced him to switch his focus to swimming. "If I hadn't broke my leg, then I may have never gotten the chance to come out here to the University of Florida and swim for one of the best teams in the nation," he said.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

FROM THE PITCH TO THE POOL: How Jack Szaranek’s gruesome leg injury altered the course of his athletic career

By River Wells | Jan. 9, 2018

Jack Szaranek breathed heavily as he sprinted down the field.

Former Gators tight end Mike Mularkey coached the Tennessee Titans to a one-point victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL playoffs on Saturday.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators in the NFL: Robinson scores first touchdown, Mularkey leads Titans to victory

By Sam Campisano | Jan. 9, 2018

Demarcus Robinson picked a good time to score his first NFL touchdown.

After winning its fifth national championship over the past nine seasons, the Alabama Crimson Tide and coach Nick Saban are the only things helping the SEC remain the powerhouse of college football.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Column: The SEC needs Alabama more than Alabama needs the SEC

By Andrew Huang | Jan. 9, 2018

It’s good to be king.

After watching his team lose three of its first four games in December, Florida men's basketball coach Mike White is pleased with the recent play of UF's offense. "I think we have a better understanding of who operates where," White said.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

UF looks to continue win streak tonight against Mississippi State

By Jake Dreilinger | Jan. 9, 2018

Florida men's basketball coach Mike White knew his team was lacking in offensive confidence before its Christmas break.

“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.

Kelly Barnhill collected a handful of national awards for her pitching in the 2017 season after going 26-4 with a 0.51 ERA. She will be one of six current and former Gators playing for Team USA in two upcoming tournaments.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Kelly Barnhill selected to U.S. National Team along with five other UF softball alums

By Mari Faiello | Jan. 8, 2018

Six current and former Florida softball players were selected to the 2018 United States Women’s National Teams on Saturday.

Jon Gruden agreed to a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, making him the highest-paid coach in NFL history.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Column: Aside from new Raiders coach Jon Gruden, what else can $100 million buy?

By Ethan Bauer | Jan. 8, 2018

The Oakland Raiders made ESPN analyst and former Super Bowl winner Jon Gruden their head coach on Saturday, with an official welcome slated for Tuesday. Gruden last coached in 2008 before getting fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following a 9-7 record. Yawn. Another NFL team hiring a new coach? Pretty boring stuff. It happens every year.

Former UF quarterback Malik Zaire wore a Schutt AiR XP Pro helmet with a basic, single-bar facemask. “It was all about simplicity,” Zaire said. “And it looked the best, in my opinion.”

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Ever wonder how football players choose their facemasks? It’s a little more complicated a process than you’d think

By Ethan Bauer | Jan. 7, 2018

The average football game only features about 11 minutes of actual football, according to the Wall Street Journal, with the other 49 lost to runoff between plays. So tonight, when Alabama plays Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship, take one of those dormant 49 minutes of replays, huddle shots and sideline views to inspect Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts and his Bulldogs equal, Jake Fromm.

Florida guard Chris Chiozza is averaging 14 points and six assists per game in SEC play this season. "I think he's one of the most underrated guys in the country," UF coach Mike White said.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Chiozza, Hayes propelling Florida to top of the SEC standings

By Skyler Lebron | Jan. 7, 2018

Three games into conference play, the Florida men’s basketball team’s identity is beginning to take shape.

Alicia Boren's 39.575 in all-around was a Gators gymnastics opening-day record on Saturday. Boren and the No. 2 Gators are set to take on the No. 3 LSU Tigers on Friday.

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

UF moving on after season-opening win against WVU

By Alana Gomez | Jan. 7, 2018

The moment junior Alicia Boren’s feet hit the mat at the end of her uneven bars routine, her face transformed into a smile as bright as the sparkles on her uniform.