The Gators have something in common with their opening-round opponent in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament on Friday.
Both teams, Florida and UMBC, foresaw themselves playing for a championship at season’s end.
But that usually means NCAA, not NIT.
“UMBC is a very talented and well-coached team,” Florida coach Amanda Butler said. “They have first-team all-conference members in their starting five. They have some players who can really score.
“They’ve also played great competition. Like several teams, they are probably surprised they aren’t in the NCAA Tournament.”
Butler was likely referring to her own squad, at least a little bit.
However, Butler and the Gators (18-14, 7-9 Southeastern Conference) aren’t letting a somewhat disappointing season damper their spirits heading into Friday’s matchup with the Retrievers (20-11, 13-3 America East) at 7 p.m. in the O’Connell Center.
“We knew that we were a postseason team when the year began, and twists and turns throughout the season have brought us here,” Butler said. “We’re excited about having an opponent to prepare for and to have a team to focus on in practice this week.”
Florida won two games over Tournament teams down the stretch, and after a loss to Tennessee in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Butler said she thought Florida deserved to be in the field of 64.
The Gators made it to a field of 64, and while it’s not the one they originally envisioned, their sights remain set on capturing a championship this season.
Since being hired, Butler has made acquiring accolades a top priority. The Gators won the Dead River Company Classic and the Gator Holiday Classic earlier this season, but Friday’s game signals the beginning of a chance at postseason glory.
“I’m excited because we still have an opportunity for a championship,” forward Ndidi Madu said. “The postseason, the end of year, is when you need to be your best.”
Like in the SEC Tournament, the Gators will need Madu to help them advance.
The 6-foot-1 junior scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in two games against Arkansas and Tennessee and was Florida’s most reliable scoring option, routinely knocking down 15- to 18-foot jumpers.
“I was just focused,” Madu said. “Going into the SEC Tournament, I was just hungry.”
UMBC features a relatively tall lineup, with four players over 6 feet tall, and Madu’s length and ability to play away from the basket will be instrumental in limiting the Retrievers’ top scorers.
That includes 6-foot-3 junior center Topé Obajolu (10.4 points per game) and fellow junior Michelle Kurowski (14.9). Both players have been to charity stripe more than 100 times this season, and Kurowski is seventh in the NCAA in free-throw percentage with an 89.4 mark from the line.
Foul trouble plagued the Gators in the SEC Tournament, as three of their post players were forced to watch the final nine minutes of the loss to Tennessee from the bench.
However, Butler feels the team has brought good energy during practice this week and believes her team is peaking at exactly the right time.
“Momentum is a very, very powerful force, especially this time of year,” Butler said. “We said all year that we felt our best basketball was ahead of us, and we feel like we are approaching our best basketball now. That’s what you want to feel.”
