Florida can finally start talking about Kentucky.
After beating Auburn on Thursday, the Gators have a chance not only at redemption but also at notching their best win of the season when they face the top-seeded Wildcats in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament today at 1 p.m.
UF has played UK twice this season, dropping both contests by a combined eight points.
“Close — a couple possessions here and there,” redshirt senior guard Jordan Jones said. “We’re talking about two games we would have won against Kentucky.”
In its two losses to UK, Florida missed several opportunities that hindered its upset efforts. The Gators shot just 18 of 34 from the free-throw line and had 46 giveaways in two contests against the Wildcats.
“The detail work in both of our games against Kentucky was not good,” coach Amanda Butler said. “That showed up in the turnover column, that showed up in the rebounding column, that showed up in the free-throw column.”
UF’s third crack at UK looks promising after the way Florida (19-11, 8-8 SEC) played in a 70-60 victory against Auburn (13-17, 5-11 SEC) in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday.
The Gators won the rebounding battle 48-41 and held a 20-8 advantage in points off turnovers, despite notching 14 giveaways compared to 13 by the Tigers.
However, the difference in the game came from the free-throw line.
A field-goal drought lasting 7:07 helped Auburn cut a 16-point Florida lead down to eight at the 1:33 mark.
The Tigers then started fouling, placing the Gators on the line where they put the game out of reach.
Florida scored its final seven points on eight attempts from the charity stripe, boosted by a 4-of-4 effort from Jones, who scored a team-high 17 points.
“This time of year, it’s just about sometimes hanging on to survive long enough,” Butler said. “I think we did that. Really thought we did a great job from the free-throw line.”
Auburn and UF finished the game tied with 32 points in the paint each, but the Gators ultimately bested the Tigers in the frontcourt. While Florida outrebounded Auburn 48-41, the Gators did most of their damage thanks to a 55.8 offensive rebounding percentage.
Junior forward Jennifer George pulled down six offensive rebounds, which tied for the game high, and recorded her 15th double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 boards.
Azania Stewart helped George fortify the post, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds. George and Stewart posted their numbers while facing constant double-teams from the Tigers.
“Well, we knew they were going to double inside,” Jones said. “George has had an amazing season; she draws a lot of attention.”
Assistant coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick said the Gators worked on breaking double-teams during the week, with a focus on passing and creating effective shots.
“Honestly, versus most of our SEC opponents, we do have that low-block advantage with Jennifer George and Azania,” Kirkpatrick said. “We’re one of the few (SEC) teams that start two true post players.”
Moving past Auburn, Florida needs a sharp performance against Kentucky in order to get off the bubble.
With the eyes of the NCAA Tournament selection committee watching, the upset-minded Gators will need to learn from their past mistakes against the Wildcats.
“We’ve got to play really, really hard and with a tremendous amount of fight,” Butler said. “But we also have to play a good, detailed basketball game.”
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
Florida guard Jaterra Bonds (10) gets past Auburn defender Tyrese Tanner, right, in the second half of the Gators' 70-60 win Thursday in the first round of the women's Southeastern Conference Tournament.
