For the first 10 minutes, it appeared the Gators were going to succumb to the slow start issues that has plagued the team throughout its first three games.
After losing its first game of the young season on Friday, Florida (3-1) wasn’t going to let early difficulties contribute to a halftime deficit, as was the case against St. John’s.
Instead, the Gators picked up the pace and pushed the floor, pulling away from Charleston Southern (2-2) by using a 31-4 run to put away the Buccaneers for good, winning the game handedly 92-64.
Coach Amanda Butler has repeatedly emphasized the importance of starting the game with a high level of intensity, yet the team again found itself coming out flat in the opening minutes.
“I thought we played a really great second half of the first half,” Butler said. “That was when we were able to separate ourselves in a meaningful way.”
With Florida trailing 17-12 with 8:34 remaining in the first half, January Miller hit a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to give the Gators the lead.
From there, it was all Florida.
Cassie Peoples, who lost her spot in the starting lineup after shooting 0-for-7 against St. John’s, turned in her best game of the season off the bench for the Gators. The redshirt junior took the demotion in stride, scoring a game-high tying 17 points.
“I have been struggling a little bit early in the season,” Peoples said. “(Coming off the bench) maybe was something a little different that I needed to get me going.”
In what was her first start of her collegiate career, freshman Haley Lorenzen scored 17 points for the Gators. Lorenzen shot the ball well from the field, going 7-for-11 while consistently facing the double team of Charleston Southern’s post players.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, they were looking for me constantly,” Lorenzen said. “Cassie (Peoples) said ‘if you run the floor, I’m going to look for you’, and same with Carlie (Needles).
“Coach told us we needed to dominate the paint, and that’s what we tried to do tonight.”
With the height Florida has, Butler wants the team to focus on improving its rebounding to provide second-chance opportunities for the offense. The Gators grabbed 21 offensive rebounds and outrebounded the Buccaneers 48-27, with every player who dressed getting a rebound for the team.
It was a strong all-around showing for Florida’s freshman class, who also got necessary contributions from fellow freshmen Brooke Copeland and Dyandria Anderson.
Anderson started in place of the injured Ronni Williams, who sprained her ankle in Friday’s loss. Butler said after the game that Williams’ status is day-to-day, leaving the possibility open that Florida’s leading scorer could return for the team’s post-Thanksgiving contest against Georgetown.
Copeland scored 15 points for the Gators in just 16 minutes off the bench, and Carlie Needles pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds to continue what has been a strong start for the guard from Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Follow Graham Hall on Twitter @Graham311
Cassie Peoples goes for a layup during Florida's season-opening win against Jacksonville.
