Before Sunday’s game, LSU coach Van Chancellor said he was worried by how hard the Gators play.
But the trademark toughness coach Amanda Butler demands from her team was absent until late in a 72-58 shellacking in Baton Rouge, La., against the Tigers.
Already on a three-game snide, Florida held a lead for only 13 seconds, and Butler said the team showed a “complete lack of readiness” in the loss.
“We’ve been through a lot emotionally in the past week,” Butler said afterward in a radio interview. “But that’s life. And that’s life in the [Southeastern Conference].”
Going on the road to face the SEC leader in scoring defense proved to be too large a task.
The Gators’ offense was handicapped all night by the Tigers, who routinely forced Florida (12-9, 2-5 SEC) out of its element into long possessions and half-court sets.
UF, a team that likes to run the floor and set up offense with aggressive defense, had zero fast-break points and took multiple bad shots as the shot clock expired.
Coupled with the poor offensive showing, Butler said the Gators also showed lackluster effort on the other end of the court.
“We got crushed on the boards today and really just had very little pride in our defense,” Butler said.
From the opening minutes, Florida allowed open looks off LSU ball screens.
Adrienne Webb, who scored a game-high 18 points, and Taylor Turnbow knocked down wide-open jumpers to give LSU an immediate 5-0 lead. The Tigers took advantage of similar easy opportunities all afternoon, shooting a 50.9 percentage.
Sunday is only the second time all season Florida has allowed an opponent to shoot 50 percent from the floor. Auburn made exactly half of its shots in a 17-point victory over UF on Jan. 6.
Despite LSU’s hot hand, Florida still had its chances.
Jordan Jones (15 points, team high) and Lanita Bartley hit late threes to cut the Tigers’ halftime lead to eight. LSU went more than four minutes without a field goal. But the Gators scored just five points in the first 12 minutes of the second half and the Tigers extended their lead to 18 points.
Florida led a small charge to cut the lead to single digits with just over two minutes left to play, but LaSondra Barrett answered with three of her 14 points to put the game away.
“We’re just having crucial breakdowns at crucial times,” Butler said, referring to a missed rebound opportunity that led to a Kentucky three. “When you’re playing (like that) on the road, then you’re going to get beat by double-digits by good teams.”
UF shot 41.5 percent, inflated by a 48-percent first half, and attempted 19 shots from beyond the arc for only the fifth time this season.
Butler, reeling after four straight losses, was asked afterward if she thought the small comeback late in the game was a positive the team could use going forward.
“That’s what you’re supposed to do,” she said. “That’s not something you should get a medal for. You’re supposed to keep fighting.”
