Close games have been a nightmare for coach Amanda Butler and the Gators this season.
But in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday, Florida was able to silence its demons with its second win in a week against Arkansas.
The ninth-seeded Gators overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to upset the eighth-seeded Razorbacks in the final minute and collect a 64-59 victory in The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga.
“We really dug our heels in and made the plays we had to,” Butler said. “That last 12 or 14 minutes of the ballgame, I thought, showed our toughness and leadership on the floor.”
Following a jumper by Arkansas senior guard Sarah Watkins, the Razorbacks (18-12, 6-10 SEC) opened a 43-32 lead with 15:20 remaining in the second half and seemingly had grabbed control of the game.
But the Gators (18-13, 6-10 SEC) responded with a 17-6 run and tied the game at 49 with a three-pointer from junior guard Jaterra Bonds with 8:58 remaining.
Neither team was able to distance itself the rest of the way. Bonds made a contested layup in the paint with 51 seconds remaining to give the Gators a 60-59 lead and made two free throws to seal the contest following a missed layup by Keira Peak.
Bonds led the Gators with 17 points. She shot just 3 of 10 from the floor but connected on 10 of her 12 attempts from the foul line.
“Previously, we’ve lost close games,” Bonds said. “Now further and further into the season, we are able to close out those close games and come up with a win. I think that’s growth and maturity and realizing what is at stake.”
Freshman guard January Miller sustained UF offensively in the first half. Miller scored 12 of her 14 points prior to halftime while the rest of the team struggled to find much consistency.
“I was just really proud of how we all played together and connected and got this win,” Miller said. “Arkansas was a tough team, so it was good to get that win and go on to the next round.”
A familiar foe awaits the Gators in the third round, which is scheduled for noon on Friday. Top-seeded Tennessee (23-6, 14-2 SEC) beat Florida 78-75 in overtime on Jan. 13 in the O’Connell Center. The loss was the first of five straight for the Gators.
Senior Jennifer George, who scored 6 points on 3-of-11 shooting on Thursday, suffered the second dislocation of her right shoulder in Florida’s previous game against Tennessee and missed most of the contest.
Butler said having a healthy roster and the momentum from its victory against Arkansas will help propel her team into a game that could be the difference in whether the Gators earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament or finish in the WNIT.
“We take great confidence from that game,” Butler said. “It could have gone either way. … We have an expectation and putting up a great fight.”
Contact Phillip Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org
Junior point guard Jaterra Bonds (10) shoots during Florida’s 62-57 loss to Georgia on Feb. 17 in the O’Connell Center. Bonds scored 17 points in Florida's 64-59 victory against Arkansas in the SEC Tournament on Thursday.
