Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Coach J.C. Deacon's squad shot 7 under through the first two rounds of the SunTrust Gator Invitational on Saturday.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Florida men’s golf in the hunt after opening day of SunTrust Gator Invitational

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 17, 2018

It was a beautiful day for golf. With temperatures in the 70s for most of the morning and afternoon, Gordon Neale approached the 18th hole for the second time on Saturday. Under the coverage of scattered clouds, Neale took out his sand wedge and let loose a shot that elicited a roar from the crowd gathered near the green.

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.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

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.

Senior catcher and team captain JJ Schwarz notched his first home run of the season Saturday afternoon. He finished 3 for 5 from the plate with three RBIs.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida baseball overcomes early deficit behind consistent hitting and a lucky bounce

By Ethan Bauer | Feb. 17, 2018

Joe Drpich looks more like an offensive lineman than a baseball player.

Florida attacker Shayna Pirreca had a goal revoked on Saturday after officials ruled the pocket in her stick was too deep. UF eventually fell to No. 1 Maryland 16-14.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS LACROSSE

Florida unable to complete comeback against No. 1 Maryland

By Tyler Nettuno | Feb. 17, 2018

Trailing Maryland 11-9 early in the second half, UF attacker Shayna Pirreca charged the goal and hurled in a shot to narrow the Terrapins’ lead to one.

Johannes Ingildsen won the clinching singles match in a 4-3 win for Florida's men's tennis team over Notre Dame on Saturday.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Johannes Ingildsen clinches victory for Florida over Notre Dame

By Benjamin Brandt | Feb. 17, 2018

Before Saturday’s match against No. 22 Notre Dame (7-2), losing the doubles point usually signaled defeat for the Florida men’s tennis team.

Senior Caeleb Dressel broke the United States record in the 200-yard individual medley by a margin of 1.25 seconds on Thursday.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Dressel breaks U.S. record as Gators men’s swimming and diving team climbs into first

By Jacob McManamon | Feb. 17, 2018

The Florida men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams completed the third day of the SEC Championships at Texas A&M University Friday.

Junior college transfer Wil Dalton launched his team-leading 16th home run of the season in Florida's 6-4 loss on Tuesday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

UF’s newcomers make an impact on opening night

By Ethan Bauer | Feb. 16, 2018

It started with a fly ball to right field, hanging in the air for about five or six seconds, carrying nothing but Wil Dalton’s pride.

Freshman Alyssa Baumann posted the high score in beam for the second time in her career with a 9.90.

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

Florida’s gymnastics team continues winning streak with road victory over Georgia

By Alana Gomez | Feb. 16, 2018

Before Florida’s meet against Georgia on Friday night, UF freshman Alyssa Baumann danced on the side of the mats while the rest of her teammates warmed up. The energy she entered the Stegeman Coliseum with carried into the Gators’ sixth competition of the regular season, where she placed first on balance beam with a score of 9.900.

Junior Brady Singer pitched seven innings and gave up just two hits in Florida's season-opener against Siena.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida’s baseball team thumps Siena 7-1 on opening night to kick off national title defense

By Morgan McMullen | Feb. 16, 2018

After the ceremonial first pitch from 2017 College World Series MVP Alex Faedo, after unveiling the national championship banner on the left field wall, after all the pomp and circumstance of honoring a year coach Kevin O’Sullivan would like to ignore, the Gators offense was bone dry.

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.