Both times UF has played UGA, it has been U-G-L-Y.
On Sunday afternoon, Florida (17-8, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) dropped its second game to Georgia (17-8, 5-7 SEC) this season, 67-58.
“Georgia really did a great job of setting the tone, and we followed the tone they set pretty much the entire game,” coach Amanda Butler said.
“We had some spurts when we battled but we did not play with Florida toughness for 40 minutes, and you’re not going to beat good teams on their home court when you do that.”
Many parallels can be drawn from the Gators’ loss to the Bulldogs about a month ago in the O’Connell Center to Florida’s loss Sunday.
Despite shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range (4 for 9) and getting into the early bonus, the Gators found themselves down at halftime 35-26.
Although Georgia was shooting only 5 for 17 from beyond the arc, it outrebounded Florida 25-15 in the first half. The first half of the matchup earlier in the season between the two teams also yielded similar results — the Bulldogs outrebounded the Gators 22-13 and eventually won the game 68-62 in Gainesville.
In both games, UF shot better from the floor than Georgia did. However, it was foul trouble and rebounding that ultimately led to the Gators’ downfall in both contests.
On Sunday, sophomore January Miller fouled out with 5:18 remaining in the game.
Miller, normally a sparkplug in crucial moments, was hardly that against Georgia. Upon fouling out, she had only five points on a 1-for-8 shooting performance.
Freshman Ronni Williams also found herself in foul trouble.
Racking up four personal fouls, Williams scored 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting but grabbed only two boards.
Senior Jaterra Bonds led Florida in rebounds on Sunday despite having been the team’s top rebounder only three times this season.
That role is usually reserved for redshirt junior Kayla Lewis, who led all Southeastern Conference players in rebounding in conference games, averaging 9.5 boards per contest prior to playing UGA.
On Sunday, she pulled down only five.
“We just played a really disjointed offensive game and had too many people who weren’t on the same page,” Butler said. “We were trying to find ways to be aggressive and consistent, and that small lineup certainly did give us a boost for a while.
“We were just trying to create and attack somehow, generate momentum somehow.”
Although the total rebounds were essentially neutralized — Georgia won the battle 39-33 — offensive rebounding was a significant factor in Georgia’s victory. The Bulldogs posted 14 second-chance points compared to the Gators’ four.
“Georgia just made plays,” Butler said. “They had some players who really played outside their scouting report, but you have to give them credit. Shacobia Barbee and Erika Ford shot the ball great. Those players really separated them from us [Sunday].”
Florida, now 7-5 in conference play, still has a good chance of finishing in the top half of the conference — the generally accepted finish good enough to get a bid to the NCAA tournament, which it hasn’t played in since 2012.
Its next opponent, Missouri, is currently 13th in the SEC.
If the Gators beat the Tigers on Thursday, Florida guarantees at least a .500 finish in SEC play.
Follow Gordon Streisand on Twitter @GordonStreisand
Jaterra Bonds drives the ball during Florida’s 75-67 win against Alabama on Jan. 30 in the O’Connell Center. Bonds led the Gators with seven rebounds against the Bulldogs on Sunday.
