The Gators traveled to Auburn in search of their first road victory of the season. But they left empty handed, beaten at their own game.
The Tigers (9-6, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) dominated the action in the paint Thursday, creating easy looks and frequent trips to the free-throw line while dismantling Florida (11-5, 1-1 SEC) 73-56 in the first conference game played in Auburn’s new arena.
For only the second time this season, UF was outrebounded by its opponent.
Auburn’s 34-25 advantage on the glass created multiple second-chance opportunities that helped turn a close game into a rout.
“They won the paint, there’s not any question,” coach Amanda Butler said. “It’s disappointing. That was our emphasis, especially in [Wednesday’s] practice, that we must win the paint, and we didn’t.”
In addition to the advantage in rebounding, Auburn added 18 points in the paint and 14 second-chance points. The Tigers also made 18 of 24 free throws.
Auburn’s Blanche Alverson dominated the action in the opening period with makes on her first three looks from beyond the arc en route to 13 first-half points.
But UF kept it close and utilized a 6-0 run in the closing minutes of the opening half to take a five-point advantage into the break.
But Auburn responded with four points of its own to open the second half as a game with 13 lead changes and five ties began to swing in the Tigers’ favor.
Auburn’s Chantel Hilliard, a junior forward coming off the bench, provided the spark in the second. Hilliard had 11 of her game-high 17 points in the final 20 minutes, helping Auburn extend its lead as the clock ticked down.
Averaging just 68 points per game entering the contest, Florida is not a team known for its offense. With less than seven minutes remaining, the Tigers hit from long distance on consecutive possessions. AU’s lead expanded to double digits and Florida would never recover.
“I just felt like we played a very soft game,” Butler said. “When we’re at our best, we’re playing with toughness. We didn’t bring it.”
Jennifer George led the Gators with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting and Jaterra Bonds added nine points and four assists, but none of Florida’s players were able to grab more than five rebounds.
The Gators also missed on a number of easy looks, something Butler addressed in preparation for the two-game road trip.
“You’re not going to beat a quality opponent on their court unless you’re tougher and paying attention to detail, and we did neither,” Butler said. “We’ve got to understand that we’ve got to dig in, grit our teeth and be ready to battle.”
