The Gators’ ninth loss in Southeastern Conference play, a 64-59 defeat in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Sunday, was a microcosm of their season.
Florida led by 10 points at halftime, only to once again squander a good 20 minutes of basketball with an abundance of mistakes in the second half.
Eleven turnovers preceded the first field goal for Florida coming out of the break, and Alabama quickly turned the double-digit deficit into its first lead since a 4-2 advantage in the opening minutes.
“Just an absolute lack of composure in turning the ball over,” Florida coach Amanda Butler said. “In the second half, (we) came out and did everything we possibly could to ensure that we weren’t going to win.”
The Gators (14-13, 4-9 SEC) controlled the flow of the game in the first half and seemed poised to win a tough game on the road in the inaugural contest held at Alabama’s newly renovated Foster Auditorium.
Utilizing a completely different strategy from the teams’ first meeting, Florida fed the low block with success early. Instead of chucking it up from outside, post players Azania Stewart, Ndidi Madu and Jennifer George keyed the offense and combined for 24 of the team’s 34 points at halftime.
But Florida couldn’t even hold on to the ball when the second period began and didn’t have a chance to establish a rhythm on offense.
“We turned the ball over before we could throw it into the paint,” Butler said. “We just seemed determined to throw the ball where they were or let them take it out of our hands.”
Both teams mixed it up on defense throughout, and Florida actually held the turnover advantage at the half (12 to 11). But Alabama’s half-court press and on-ball traps gave UF headaches.
The Crimson Tide (13-12, 2-10 SEC) accrued an astonishing 19 steals, easily compensating for a 44-27 beating on the boards.
“I just thought we had absolute mental collapses … and acted like we didn’t expect their pressure,” Butler said.
Following eight field goals in the first half, the Tide turned defense into offense and shot 12 of 25 in the second, including a three from guard Jasmine Robinson that sparked a 14-4 run.
After trailing by 10 at half, Alabama built its own 10-point lead with less than nine minutes to play, and it appeared the Gators were ready to fold.
Then, guards Deana Allen and Jaterra Bonds drilled three-pointers on successive possessions, and Florida put together a 7-0 run to pull within two.
But again, turnovers struck.
Allen and Bonds gave it away on the Gators’ next two trips down the floor, and Alabama pulled away.
The loss is Florida’s fourth straight and eighth in its last 10 games. The Gators were in position to win five of those contests and now have lost eight games by six points or less.
Despite an RPI of 62, the Gators’ chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2008-09 season fade with each loss. And with a week off before facing Mississippi State at home, Butler said the team has plenty to work on.
“Unity, togetherness, work on our chemistry — we looked very disjointed,” Butler said, before moving on to the common buzzword of Florida women’s basketball.
“Toughness,” she said. “We were awful soft today.”
