Faced with a win-or-go-home game in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, Florida unleashed a barrage of three-pointers while barely containing USF’s Jessica Lawson in a 61-54 win.
“It wasn’t pretty, but I don’t think we expected it to be pretty. We just expected to pull it out,” UF coach Amanda Butler said.
The Gators opened the game with a 20-6 lead off six three-pointers between Jordan Jones, Steffi Sorensen and Sharielle Smith.
“Shooting is contagious on our team,” Sorensen said. “[Jones] came out hot and all of us kind of followed behind her. It just got us off to a good start. It was a good feeling just to really dominate those first few minutes so that you know you’re in control.”
Center Azania Stewart, who missed five games at the end of the regular season with a stress fracture in her left foot, had 15 points in 18 minutes. The sophomore returned to game after leaving following a scary fall where she seemingly reaggravated the injury.
“I feel pretty good,” she said. “Like coach says, just rub some dirt on it.”
It wasn’t the easiest return for Stewart, who had her hands full – as did the whole team – with Lawson.
USF’s double-double threat scored 26 points and collected 12 rebounds. She made as many shots, 10, as the rest of her team combined.
“She’s an SEC [-type] post player,” Butler said. “She wasn’t ready for her career to end, and it showed in the way that she played.“
She single-handedly brought her team out of a first-half rut, scoring 11 points in the opening period. Not even her big numbers and the Bulls’ 58-37 rebounding advantage could make up for the team’s 26.7 shooting percentage.
Leading by eight at the break, UF’s shots started to miss in the second half, as the Gators made just 3 of 13 from three-point range. But whenever the team needed a basket, someone delivered, whether it was Smith with a three-pointer or Stewart in the post. Sorensen led the team with 16 points, Stewart had 15 and Jones added 10. Smith and Lonnika Thompson chipped in eight and nine apiece.
After surviving the first-round game, the Gators will head south to Miami to play their second straight intrastate rival on Sunday at 2 pm.. The Hurricanes defeated Florida Gulf Coast 70-57 on Thursday night.
THREE TRANSFERRING: A trio of usual faces was missing from the Gators’ bench. Sophomore Trumae Lucas and freshmen Christal Caldwell and Tessah Holt were sitting in the stands after decisions to transfer from Florida.
Lucas saw the most time this season out of the three, averaging 16.4 minutes per game.
