Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

UF point guard Cassie Peoples dribbles during Florida's 64-56 loss to Tennessee on Feb. 8, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

UF women’s basketball drops season opener

By Ethan Bauer | Nov. 14, 2015

Florida’s season opener was a lot like a sandwich.

UF coach Jim McElwain walks on the sideline during Florida's 9-7 win against Vanderbilt on Nov. 7, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators, having secured SEC East, head to South Carolina

By GRAHAM HACK | Nov. 12, 2015

One game signaled the end of an era.

UF men's basketball coach Mike White reacts after a play during the first half of Florida's 89-42 win against Palm Beach Atlantic in an exhibition game Nov. 5, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators men’s basketball opens Mike White era

By ALEX MAMINAKIS | Nov. 12, 2015

Mike White and his coaching staff are ready to pick up the pieces of the Gators’ disappointing 2014-15 campaign and return the program to prominence. This year’s young and fairly new team has shown preseason potential, but will hit the ground running tonight on the road as the regular season begins.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Picks column: South Carolina

Nov. 12, 2015

After a narrow 9-7 win over Vanderbilt on Homecoming on Saturday, the No. 11 Gators hit the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina, at noon on ESPN.

UF defender Christen Westphal dribbles during Florida's 2-1 win against LSU on Oct. 11, 2015, at James G. Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Gators soccer kicks off NCAA Tournament Play

By Ryan Summers | Nov. 12, 2015

A fresh start and a whole new season awaits the Florida soccer team on Saturday night.

Under coach Gregg Troy (above), Florida returns 11 All-Americans this season on the men’s team and two-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel to the women.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

International ties key for Troy and the swimming and diving program

By Lauren Staff | Nov. 12, 2015

If you were to glance at UF’s swimming and diving roster, you could easily mistake it for an Olympic lineup, with athletes on the team representing 11 nations across four continents.

Rhamat Alhassan swings for a kill attempt during Florida's 3-0 win against Texas A&M on Oct. 9, 2015, in the O'Connell Center

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Gators look to get back on a roll against Alabama

By Patrick Pinak | Nov. 12, 2015

One block is all it would’ve taken.

January Miller drives into the lane during Florida's 72-58 win against Arkansas on Sunday in the O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida women’s basketball set to open season on the road against Temple

By Ethan Bauer | Nov. 12, 2015

UF will open the 2015-16 women’s basketball season hoping to get lucky on Friday the 13th.

Jimmy Clark races during the 2013 Mountain Dew Invitational.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY

Florida seeking success at NCAA regionals

By Alejandro López | Nov. 12, 2015

Heading into Friday’s NCAA South Regional Championship, the University of Florida’s men’s and women’s cross country teams may have some ground to make up.

UF safety Marcus Maye attempts to tackle Georgia quarterback Faton Bauta (10) during Florida's 27-3 win against the Bulldogs on Oct. 31, 2015, at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Florida safety Marcus Maye showing unselfish mentality

By Luis Torres | Nov. 11, 2015

Marcus Maye’s season began watching Florida beat New Mexico State 61-13 on Sept. 5 from the sidelines, forced to sit out the season-opener because of a violation of team rules.

UF men's basketball coach Mike White talks with redshirt freshman guard Brandone Francis-Ramirez during the first half of Florida's 89-42 win against Palm Beach Atlantic in an exhibition game Nov. 5, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators men’s basketball team a work in progress

By ALEX MAMINAKIS | Nov. 11, 2015

Last Thursday, Mike White took the court of the O’Connell Center for the first time as Florida’s head coach. In an 89-42 exhibition game victory over Division II Palm Beach Atlantic, White observed his team’s strengths and weaknesses in a game situation just eight days before the regular season began.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier points to fans as he walks off the field after South Carolina's 42-35 loss to Auburn on Oct. 25 in Auburn, Alabama.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Scouting the South Carolina Gamecocks

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | Nov. 11, 2015

The No. 11 Florida Gators (8-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to face the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-6, 1-6 SEC) in both teams’ final conference game of the year. The Gators already clinched the SEC East and are now focused on running the table for a potential College Football Playoff berth. The Gamecocks are on the outside looking in for the postseason, needing to win their final three games to become bowl eligible. Here’s a look at South Carolina’s season to this point and what the Gamecocks bring to the game:

Junior Natalie Hinds competes in the 100-yard butterfly during Florida's 189.5-110.5 win against Arkansas on Saturday in the O'Connell Center

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Inconsistent UF swimming and diving teams improve against South Carolina

By Lauren Staff | Nov. 11, 2015

The story up to this point in the season for Florida’s swimming and diving teams has been their lack of consistency.

UF coach Becky Burleigh celebrates with her team follow a 4-0 win against Arkansas on Oct. 25, 2015, at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Florida soccer to host NCAA opener

By Ryan Summers | Nov. 9, 2015

After securing the program’s 11th Southeastern Conference Tournament title, the No. 6 Florida soccer team claimed a No. 2 seed for the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

UF football coach Jim McElwain receives the game ball following Florida's 9-7 win against Vanderbilt on Nov. 7, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Despite clinching SEC East, Gators aim to maintain intensity

By Luis Torres | Nov. 9, 2015

Fresh off of clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division for the first time since 2009, Florida’s next matchup is against a team that is currently trying to find its identity: South Carolina.

Alejandro Tosti putts during the 2015 SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 14.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

With conclusion of Fall season, Gators men’s golf turns focus to Spring

By Matt Brannon | Nov. 9, 2015

The Fall season may be over, but No. 9 Florida is already looking to get back into the swing of things for Spring.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

UF volleyball focused on improving careless play

By Brian Lee | Nov. 9, 2015

It took 25 years for the Auburn volleyball team to finally beat the Gators under coach Mary Wise.

UF women's basketball coach Amanda Butler Gator Chomps after being introduced at Gators Madness on Oct. 2, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators women’s basketball hoping new assistant coaches improve recruiting

By Ethan Bauer | Nov. 9, 2015

After last year’s uninspiring 13-17 record — the worst in Amanda Butler’s tenure as head coach — the UF women’s basketball program needed a change.

UF's Eddie Garcia (157) leads the pack during the Mountain Dew Invitational on Sept. 19, 2015, at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY

UF cross country hoping deep roster makes impact at NCAA Regionals

By Alejandro López | Nov. 9, 2015

"Forget the (other) teams."

UF's Austin Hardin kicks the game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter of Florida's 9-7 win against Vanderbilt on Nov. 7, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Kicker steps up, locks UF into SEC Championship

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | Nov. 8, 2015

With less than two-and-a-half minutes left to play on Saturday and No. 10 Florida trailing Vanderbilt 7-6, UF kicker Austin Hardin trots out to the field.