Today at 5 p.m., Florida seeks redemption against in-state rival Florida State.
Last season, the Gators got walloped in Tallahassee by a 31-point margin.
Florida shot 35.6 percent from the field and 11.1 percent from beyond the arc, while getting out rebounded 46-36. Jennifer George was the team’s leading scorer that night. She’s since graduated.
One would surmise that losing so badly to a storied rival would surely provide motivation to those who experienced it first-hand heading into today’s matchup.
“It was probably the worst game we played all year,” coach Amanda Butler said. “We were also a very different team last year. I’m sure that some of our returners (will remember).”
Six of Florida’s nine active players this season will have a shot to vindicate themselves after last year’s drubbing. Both senior Jaterra Bonds and junior Kayla Lewis had decent numbers in Tallahassee last season, putting up 13 and 10 points, respectively. Lewis also notched seven rebounds.
“It’s a special game,” Butler said. “No question. Whether it’s played here or there, who’s got more seniors, who’s favored…all those things are absolutely out the window. We’ve got to bring our best basketball to compete with them, for sure.”
Butler’s correct in her assessment. For the Gators to have a glimmer of hope, they must bring their A-game.
The Gators are going to be reliant on their high-octane offense to carry the load today in Gainesville. That’s going to be a tall order against a stingy Seminoles squad.
“Really good zone defensive team,” Butler said of FSU. “Great size three through five and are pretty interchangeable, too.”
“They’re versatile. They’re athletic. They really can put some pressure on you in transition.”
With an in-state rival comes a lot of familiarity, mainly due to recruiting. Many players on the floor today were caught in the middle of recruiting battles, at some point, between Butler and FSU coach Sue Semrau.
“There’s some familiar faces,” Butler said. “They’ve got some freshmen that are playing really important roles that we’re very familiar with because we recruited them and some of them are Florida kids. Natasha Howard is one of the best players in the country and she’s returning. (Cheetah) Delgado, their point guard, does a great job of running their team.”
This year’s Seminoles team (4-0) should prove to be the Gators’ (3-1) toughest matchup to date this season.
Florida State has made the NCAA tournament eight times in the past nine seasons. They’ve been laying waste to their opponents this season, averaging a 32-point margin of victory through four games. Granted, their toughest opponent so far has been Cincinnati (2-2), who the Seminoles beat by only five points on Nov. 13 in Cincinnati.
All stats aside, there’s nothing Florida State would love more than to beat Florida in the O’Connell Center. For the Gators, the feeling is mutual.
Follow Gordon Streisand on Twitter @GordonStreisand.
Jaterra Bonds attempts a shot during Florida's 88-77 victory against North Florida on Nov. 10 in the O'Connell Center.
