Jordan Jones released a shot from the midcourt Gators logo as the shot-clock buzzer sounded.
The redshirt senior guard’s desperation heave found nothing but net, kicking off a 23-2 first-half Florida run that buried Alabama.
“Kind of lucky, I guess,” Jones said of the shot.
Good fortune and solid transition play helped Florida (13-6, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) defeat Alabama (10-10, 0-6 SEC) 61-37 on Thursday night in the O’Connell Center.
Florida went into halftime with a 33-17 lead, marking the second consecutive game the Gators have scored 30-plus points in the first half.
The quick starts against LSU and Alabama came on the heels of back-to-back losses to South Carolina and Georgia in which Florida failed to reach 20 points before the half.
“First and foremost, (the problem) was turnovers,” coach Amanda Butler said. “We’ve just been valuing each possession more. We’ve been paying more attention to our offense in practice and taking a little bit away from our defense.”
Butler may have had offense at the forefront of her gameplan this week, but UF’s defense delivered arguably its best performance of the 2011-12 campaign against the Crimson Tide.
Alabama’s 17 first-half points were the fewest scored by a Florida opponent this season, and the Tide’s final tally of 37 was the lowest number allowed by the Gators since 2009.
The key stretch was a 5:14 scoreless drought by the Crimson Tide in the first half that saw the Gators rack up 13 unanswered points.
In last Sunday’s 62-58 win against the Tigers, the Gators saw a late 14-point lead whittled down to two in just four minutes.
However, Florida actually added to its advantage in the second half Thursday due largely to improved post play.
The Gators bested the Crimson Tide by only two points, 14-12, in the paint before halftime, surrendering eight points to ‘Bama forward Kyra Crosby.
Conversely, Florida dominated down low in the second half, outscoring Alabama 18-8 in the paint.
Junior forward Jennifer George and senior center Azania Stewart led the Gators’ effort in the post. George recorded her 11th double-double of the season, registering team-high marks with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots.
While the Gators warmly welcomed George’s return to double-double form a game after she struggled with six points and two rebounds against LSU, Stewart’s performance drew the most enthusiastic praise.
Stewart scored eight points, pulled down 10 boards and recorded four blocks in her best all-around statistical performance in SEC play this season.
“It’s about time, I should say,” Stewart said. “It’s great confidence, just for our team in general. We’re building and we’re on a run right now.”
George has shouldered Florida’s offensive burden in the paint, providing the only consistent scoring threat for the Gators down low.
However, Stewart’s performance, coupled with eight points from redshirt senior Ndidi Madu, has George brimming with confidence in her fellow post players.
“[Stewart]’s hitting her stride right now. It’s pretty hard to guard both of us if we’re both on our strides,” George said. “Her blocking and her height challenge a lot of teams.”
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
Gators center Azania Stewart (13) scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Florida’s 61-37 win against Alabama on Thursday.
