Jennifer George did just enough in the paint for Florida to get by and win the 2011 Gator Holiday Classic.
George, a junior forward, scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season in Florida's 62-49 win over Duquesne in the O'Connell Center on Wednesday.
Following her performance against the Dukes, George became the first Gator since Vanessa Hayden during the 2003-04 season to put together four straight contests with a double-double.
George's effort down low was the lone bright spot on a night where Duquesne outscored Florida 30-20 in the paint.
The Gators' other post players — Ndidi Madu, Lily Svete, and Azania Stewart — combined for just six points and eight rebounds against the Dukes.
“It wasn’t the prettiest of ball games," coach Amanda Butler said. "But then you look at a win like this against a team like Duquesne and see that your best basketball is right ahead of you."
Florida's guards aided the rebounding effort, contributing to the 46-40 advantage over Duquesne.
Senior guards Jordan Jones and Lanita Bartley pulled down seven rebounds each and senior guard Deana Allen racked up six boards off the bench.
Inconsistent post play was not the only discouraging performance by UF.
The Gators had a difficult game from beyond the arc, making just five shots in 21 attempts, including a 16.7 3-point percentage in the first half.
Florida (9-3) was only outdone by Duquesne (10-2), which was 0-of-19 from long range.
The Gators' five made threes were converted by senior guard Jordan Jones and sophomore guard Jaterra Bonds.
Three-point range prowess benefited both Jones and Bonds, who were Florida's two leading scorers with 18 and 16 points, respectively.
"The starters handled putting the points up for us," Butler said. "This was a team win, regardless of who scored the most or who tallied the most rebounds.”
The victory over the Dukes allowed the Gators to clinch their 17th Gator Holiday Classic.
George was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and joined Jones and Bonds as members of the 2011 Gator Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team.
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
