With dreams of Kentucky and Southeastern Conference play dancing in her head, senior Jennifer George and the Gators were first tasked with completing their non-conference slate on Friday night.
Finishing with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds — her fifth consecutive double-double — George ensured that was not an issue as Florida (11-3) beat Holy Cross 81-50 in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
“Jennifer George did a great job of setting the tone for us in the paint and really anchoring our game down low,” coach Amanda Butler said. “That is what we expect her to do. That is what her teammates expect her to do. I think she was really playing with a lot of purpose tonight.”
George scored the game’s first four points and established herself as an effective scoring threat throughout the contest. Her efforts helped Florida outscore Holy Cross (5-6) 42-16 in the paint, something Butler was pleased to see.
Early in the game, the Gators were unable to pad a lead that hovered in single digits. However, Florida used a 38-13 run to take a 64-37 lead with 9:06 remaining in the second half.
“We had an individual purpose in mind, obviously to win, but also to set a tone going in the conference season,” Butler said. “We did that.”
With the victory, the Gators finished their non-conference schedule 11-3, including a current six-game winning streak.
George, the team’s lone senior, sees a level of confidence developing throughout Florida’s inexperienced roster.
“This game is a good confidence boost heading into Lexington for our first SEC game,” George said. “We just need to keep working hard and improving so we can make good moves in the SEC.”
