Labeling the final chapter to a tough season for Florida, only one word seems to fit.
Redemption.
After one day of preparation following Thursday’s weather delay in Nashville, Tenn., the Florida women’s basketball team closed its regular season with a thrilling 74-71 victory over rival No. 22 Georgia in the O’Connell Center on Sunday.
The win helped erase memories of the Gators’ 16-point collapse to the Bulldogs (20-9, 10-6 Southeastern Conference) in Athens, Ga., earlier this year.
Florida (17-13, 7-9 SEC) extended its winning streak to three games by beating a Bulldogs team that entered the day second in the SEC.
“We’ve grown up,” Butler said. “We’ve matured in a lot of ways, and this team is starting to get what they deserve.”
Florida came out running, establishing an early 10-6 lead, before guard Lanita Bartley, who carried Florida in its past two games, picked up her second foul and left the game.
UF went cold without Bartley’s penetration, and the Gators began to settle for shots from distance.
They started 7 of 19 from the floor, including just 1 of 9 from three-point range, and trailed by eight late in the first half.
But freshman guard Jaterra Bonds stepped up and drained threes on consecutive possessions, cutting Georgia’s lead to four.
Later, a Ndidi Madu jumper and a Brittany Shine fast-break pull-up cut the lead to two, the lone senior on the Gators’ roster made her mark on Senior Day.
Ebonie Crawford, a 6-foot-3 backup center, drew a foul under the Florida basket and went to the line with two seconds left in the half. She drained both, and Florida entered intermission tied at 35.
“Hitting those two free throws to close out the first half was a big moment for me,” Crawford said.
Crawford’s contribution epitomized what the Gators called a total team effort.
Three players scored in double digits, including Jordan Jones with 18 in 37 minutes and Deana Allen with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Instead of fading when Georgia took the lead late in the game, the Gators stayed in control.
Every time Georgia pushed closer, Florida had an answer — and most times, it was Jones or Bonds.
“All of us have that mentality that we all want the ball,” Jones said. “In clutch moments … we’d all ask coach Butler to draw up a play for us.”
While Jones took her share of pivotal shots Sunday, it was the scoring of Bonds that made the difference.
Butler chided Bonds early for putting up too many threes, but the freshman point guard caught fire. Bonds finished 5 of 10 from beyond the arc en route to a career-high 22 points, and Jones said she knew Bonds had the hot hand.
After making a three-pointer of her own on the previous trip, Jones dished to Bonds for a wide-open look the next time down. Jones raised her hands to signal the make before Bonds’ feet even hit the floor.
“I was just feeling it,” Bonds said. “If it looked good, I was going to take it.”
But even Bonds wouldn’t take credit for the victory. Instead, she pointed to Jones taking a late-game charge and center Azania Stewart’s rebound with 23 seconds left that secured the victory.
“Those were really the biggest plays,” Bonds said.
