Down by one point with five seconds remaining in regulation, Jaterra Bonds went to the charity stripe with a chance to escape.
Reeling from a 13-1 Arkansas run, Florida needed just two made free throws to regain the lead it held by 10 points a mere four minutes before.
However, Bonds made just one of her two attempts, sending the game into overtime.
Bond’s trip to the free-throw line was a critical example of the Gators’ charity-stripe woes in a 73-72 double-overtime loss to the Razorbacks (16-5, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) in Fayetteville, Ark., on Sunday.
Florida’s double-digit advantage unraveled down the stretch due to an abysmal performance from the free-throw line.
The Gators (13-8, 3-5 SEC) made just 11 free throws in 25 attempts, including a brutal 5-of-11 mark in the second half followed by a 6-of-12 effort in overtime.
“It’s just a colossal disappointment to play so well for so long … and then to not step up and hit free throws,” coach Amanda Butler said. “We could have seemingly won comfortably if you look at the free-throw stats.”
Poor free-throw shooting was a problem that not even leading scorer Lanita Bartley could avoid. Bartley led Florida with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting, but made just 4 of 8 free-throw tries in the game.
A team spokesman declined to make Bartley or any players available for comment following the loss.
The last time Bartley scored in double digits — an 82-73 win against Charlotte on Nov. 26 — she put up 28 points aided by a 9-of-9 clip from the charity stripe.
“[Bartley]’s a senior, she just came ready to play,” assistant coach Murriel Page said. ”She did all she could, but she’s just one player.”
Faring best from the line was Azania Stewart, who scored half of her eight points on free throws.
Stewart, who also grabbed four rebounds and recorded two blocks, was the only Gator to make two free throws in succession, doing so twice.
Aside from Bartley and Stewart, Florida struggled to get to the free-throw line, let alone make the shots once they got there.
The rest of the team managed 11 combined attempts, scoring just three points.
“Whenever you’re on the road and when you have free throws, those are the shots that you have to make,” Page said. “We just couldn’t make those shots.”
A lone bright spot for Florida was its bench, which outscored Arkansas’s reserves 38-10.
The offensive outburst was largely a result of usual starters Bartley and Jennifer George, who combined for 28 points, starting the game on the sideline.
“That was one of our goals for our bench to outplay their bench in every way and we certainly did that,” Butler said.
Other statistical leaders for Florida were Bonds with four assists, George with nine rebounds, and Bartley with five steals.
With Sunday’s win, Arkansas dealt Florida its fifth loss by six points or fewer in SEC play.
Trailing No. 6 Kentucky by 5.5 games in the league standings, UF is two defeats or two UK wins away from elimination in the conference championship race.
“You can’t get too upset, you’ve got to bounce back,” Butler said. “What’s important are the little things. We’ve got to hit free throws, we’ve got to take care of the basketball, we’ve got to execute. Every possession matters.”
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
Florida point guard Jaterra Bonds missed one of two free throw with five seconds left in regulation to send Sunday’s game to overtime.
