A season full of humongous highs and devastating lows for the Florida women’s basketball team continued in much the same manner Thursday against Arkansas.
Flawless shooting helped the Gators break out to an early 26-9 lead, and they held on to win their fourth straight game 68-59 over Arkansas on Thursday in Nashville, Tenn.
But the first game of the Southeastern Conference Tournament also highlighted what has made this year’s Gators so perplexing.
Florida (18-13, 8-9 SEC) began with perfection, shooting 8 of 8 from the field and building an 18-7 lead before the first media timeout. Forward Ndidi Madu accounted for six points and three rebounds to spark the streak.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen (a run like that),” assistant coach Murriel Page said. “We were on fire. Everybody wanted to do it tonight.”
Despite the electrifying start, Florida simmered and began showing why team ranked last in the SEC East in turnovers.
After the Gators built a 17-point lead, the Razorbacks (18-11, 6-11 SEC) went on a 19-2 run to tie the game at 28.
For a moment, the Gators lost their edge. They turned the ball over seven times in nine trips down the floor and went more than four minutes without a bucket.
But Florida bounced back and closed the half with a 15-5 spurt, taking a 43-33 lead into the break.
After intermission, Florida’s stellar shooting disappeared, and the 10-point advantage went with it.
UF shot 3 of 16 to open the second half, and Arkansas capitalized on another Florida scoring drought with a 9-0 run.
The Razorbacks tied the game at 49 after a catch-and-shoot three-pointer from guard Lyndsay Harris. The SEC leader in threes made 4 of 7 in the first half and single-handedly brought the Razorbacks back into contention with her game-high 18 points.
Moments later, Sarah Watkins made a turnaround jumper over two defenders to give Arkansas its first lead since the opening bucket at 57-55.
Once again, the Gators were tested until the final minutes. But instead of buckling under pressure like in January and early February, Florida’s newfound poise emerged in the clutch.
Tied at 59 inside three minutes, Madu fed a perfect high-low bounce pass to forward Jennifer George for a turnaround layup. Then, Jordan Jones drew a charge on UA’s C’eira Ricketts, and George scored three more to put the game away.
“They are in a tough stretch and are just gutting it out,” coach Amanda Butler said of her team. “(I’m) just really proud of that resilient spirit that we continue to display.”
Five Gators scored in double digits Thursday. Madu, George and guard Deana Allen led with 12 points apiece, while Jones and fellow guard Jaterra Bonds each accounted for 11.
With Madu starting the early run and George closing the final minutes, Florida showed its inside presence can provide stability from start to finish.
“We’ve been stressing to our players that in order to make this run in the SEC, our post players have to step up,” Page said. “This is a great start.”
With the win, Florida earned a matchup against No. 1 seed Tennessee today at 1 p.m. in the tournament quarterfinals.
Undefeated in conference play and ranked No. 4 in the nation, the Volunteers have already blown out the Gators twice this season.
But, according to Butler, Florida is excited to get a third crack at the defending conference champs.
“We want to be a championship program,” Butler said. “There’s one way in this league to become a championship program, and that is through Tennessee.”
