Brooke Copeland, the junior forward from Cleveland, Tennessee, is simply focused on one thing.
Herself.
As a key reserve on Florida’s bench this season, Copeland has hit a shooting rut over her past 11 games, converting on only 14-of-52 attempts from behind the three-point arc.
She’ll be the first to tell you that those aren’t the results she’s looking for, and as she and the rest of her teammates prepare for their next contest against Arkansas, the Razorbacks are the last thing on their minds.
“We’re focused on just working on what we each one of us does best,” Copeland said.
UF faces Arkansas tonight at the O’Connell Center at 7, looking to turn around one of its toughest seasons to date under coach Amanda Butler.
The Gators (11-12, 2-8 SEC) sit in second-to-last place in the conference standings and are on pace to finish with their lowest SEC win total in over 10 years.
Their two biggest problems this season have been taking care of the ball and perimeter shooting, with their 438 turnovers setting one of the highest marks in the country and their 26.5-percent shooting clip from behind the three-point line setting one of the lowest marks in the country.
Still, there’s hope for Florida against the Razorbacks.
Arkansas has struggled just as mightily in conference action as UF has, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Its 66 points per game and 40.6-percent field goal shooting are both some of the worst ratings in the SEC.
Senior forward Jessica Jackson is also the only player on the Razorbacks’ roster to average double-figure scoring, posing the only serious threat to stuff the stat sheet.
Despite those offensive deficiencies, Copeland and the Gators are still taking the simple approach when game-planning for Arkansas.
“What they do isn’t our concern,” Copeland said. “We’re focused on ourselves.”
Contact Dylan Dixon at ddixon@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @dylanrdixon.
UF forward Brooke Copeland dribbles during Florida's 81-62 loss to South Carolina on Jan. 8, 2017, in the O'Connell Center.
