Two games into the season, everything is seemingly going to plan.
Florida tallied its second victory in as many games, with the latest coming in an 88-77 victory against North Florida.
To start the game, the Gators picked up where they left off after an impressive 93-65 victory against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats two days prior.
Florida opened up the game early, starting with a 10-0 lead and reached ahead by a 17-point margin in just less than eight minutes.
Redshirt senior Lily Svete caught fire early on, draining her first four 3-point shots in the first four minutes of the game.
Three-pointers were the common theme in the first half for the Gators, as they sank seven of an attempted 17 shots.
Florida headed into the second half with a 46-35 lead when North Florida began to close the gap. The Ospreys were within three points of the Gators with 13:39 remaining on the clock, but the Gators took over soon after.
Senior Jaterra Bonds was an offensive dynamo in the second half, putting up 15 points in the half and setting a new personal best for points in a single game with 25.
Redshirt junior Kayla Lewis, who was one rebound shy of a double-double, also had a very strong showing. Lewis recorded 16 points and 5 steals along with 9 rebounds to seal one of her best games as a Gator.
Both Lewis and Bonds showed great improvements from their last game. Against Bethune-Cookman, Lewis come into foul trouble early and only recorded six points in 17 minutes on the floor. Bonds was also less than stellar on Friday, shooting three of 13 and notching ten points.
Ronni Williams, Antoinette Bannister and Cassie Peoples, who all shone brightly against Bethune-Cookman, each had some minor setbacks against North Florida. Williams, a dominant force in Friday’s game, got into foul trouble early and only recorded four points and five rebounds – a far cry from her 15 point, 17 rebound performance against the Wildcats. Bannister and Peoples combined for 15 points, with the entirety of Bannister’s points coming on a four-point play early in the first half.
Now, Florida must prepare for its game against Virginia Tech on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va. The Gators lead the series 2-0, with the last meeting being an 89-57 victory in 1998.
Jaterra Bonds attempts a shot during Florida's 88-77 victory against North Florida on Nov. 10 in the O'Connell Center.
