A day after battering an overmatched Savannah State team, redshirt sophomore Kayla Lewis and the Gators did just enough to squeak past Central Michigan and win the 2012 Gator Holiday Classic.
Lewis notched her second double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds as Florida overcame a turnover-plagued contest to win 81-75 Friday night in the O’Connell Center.
“We wanted to make sure we kept it interesting until the end so nobody would leave before the trophy ceremony,” coach Amanda Butler joked. “That’s what our plan was for the turnovers at the end.”
All joking aside, Butler was disappointed with her team’s inability to control the ball, particularly late in the contest.
With Florida (10-3) clinging to a lead late in the second half, sloppy possessions led to turnovers and allowed Central Michigan to trim its deficit to six points with 27 seconds remaining.
UF sealed the victory when redshirt freshman Carlie Needles connected on a pair of free throws just seconds later, but the Gators finished the game with 29 turnovers a day after committing just nine in win against Savannah State.
Part of the turnover issue stemmed from the absence of junior guard Jaterra Bonds. She received a technical foul for her fifth foul of the game with 7:59 remaining in the second half.
The Gators were then forced to lean on freshman Sydney Moss to lead the way.
As has been the case much of the season, Moss responded with a solid performance. In addition to her responsibilities handling the ball, Moss finished the game with 16 points and was named the Gator Holiday Classic Most Valuable Player.
“I thought [Moss] really stepped up,” Butler said. “There were a lot of people that chipped in, and that’s what we kept encouraging the team to do.”
The victory against Central Michigan (5-5) allowed Florida to clinch its 18th Gator Holiday Classic.
Though the tournament involves just four teams and lasts two days, Butler said it is a chance for the team to better itself while continuing an established program tradition.
“There’s a lot of tradition in this tournament,” Butler said. “[Gators assistant Murriel Page] and I both played in it. It’s important when you have a chance to win a championship to claim it. We did that.”
