Two games are hardly enough to be considered a representative sample, but for Vicky McIntyre and the Gators, they were small steps in the right direction.
McIntyre finished with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting during a 69-64 loss to Missouri on Jan. 31. Three days later, she again finished with 12 points, making each of her five field goal attempts in an 87-54 victory against Alabama, a win that snapped Florida’s five-game losing streak.
“One of the things that seems to have eluded us, especially during the time when we were struggling, was consistency,” coach Amanda Butler said. “To have someone have two back-to-back really solid performances may not sound like a big deal to someone else or on a different team, but back-to-back solid performances are really important for us right now.”
McIntyre’s consecutive 12-point efforts were the first two times she scored in double figures since she tallied 10 points during Florida’s 61-55 win against Mississippi State on Jan. 10.
The 6-foot-7 center has scored in double figures on just two other occasions this season. The timing of her improved performance bodes well for the Gators.
Senior Jennifer George has struggled offensively as she continues to deal with the effects of two separations of her right shoulder. George leads the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game, but she has scored in double figures only once since Jan. 6.
“Jennifer is still trying to find her groove, get her groove back and in particular, Vicky and (Christin) Mercer have had some really important performances for us,” Butler said.
McIntyre has been particularly efficient during Southeastern Conference play.
Despite logging just 15.8 minutes per contest, she is second on the team with a 48.9 field goal percentage. The junior’s 1.6 blocks per game rank sixth in the conference.
Endurance is an issue for McIntyre, and she is often only on the floor for 3 or 4 minutes at a time. However, her size makes her a key role player.
“I have to do what I can with what I get,” McIntyre said. “I’m going to give my team as much as I can when I’m in there.”
Contact Phillip Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org.
Florida center Vicky McIntyre (34) attempts a shot over a South Carolina defender in the O'Connell Center during Florida's 52-44 loss to South Carolina. After one season with the Gators, McIntyre will not return to UF next season.
