A game removed from its worst shooting performance of the season, the Florida Gators women’s basketball team was looking for efficiency.
And its top two scorers delivered.
Senior forward Ronni Williams — who scored a career-high 26 points — and sophomore guard Eleanna Christinaki shot a combined 20-for-28 from the field, helping the Gators handily defeat Wofford in Ocala Wednesday night, 74-51.
“The goal for us is to be interchangeable,” coach Amanda Butler said in a release. “We believe in our depth … whomever the sixth person and seventh person is coming into the game, we want everything that they have.”
Sparked by six consecutive points from Williams, No. 19 Florida (5-1) dominated Wofford (3-3) from the opening tip-off. Williams and junior forward Brooke Copeland combined for 17 points in the frame, powering a 19-3 run and accounting for roughly 81 percent of the Gators’ first-quarter offense.
Florida’s efficiency translated to their own court as well. The Gators outrebounded the Terriers 9-6 on the defensive glass and collected two steals and three blocks, holding their opponent to 24-percent shooting.
“Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job,” Butler said.
The second quarter brought more of the same. Despite a 6-0 Wofford run to close out the half, UF led by 22, matching its largest halftime advantage of the season. Three Gators accounted for all of Florida’s 21 second quarter points, with Christinaki draining 14 to lead the charge.
It was all Florida in the first 20 minutes of play. UF's Williams single-handedly produced 80 percent of Wofford's points for the half en route to her third double-double of the season.
However, the Terriers weren’t going down quietly.
Wofford outscored Florida 19-13 in the third quarter, capitalizing on a Florida scoring drought. The Gators failed to convert from the field in the final 4:45 of the frame, coughing up four turnovers in the process. Guard Cairo Booker scored five of her nine total points in a 38 second burst to end the frame, trimming Florida’s advantage to 16.
But despite Wofford’s late surge, the Gators quickly stopped their opponent’s momentum.
Williams and Christinaki continued their hot streaks, registering 10 points in the fourth quarter. Playing more minutes (23) than her previous three games combined, freshman guard Elif Portakal flushed the first three-pointer of her collegiate career, dishing an assist in the final frame as well.
Winning in convincing fashion, the Gators led for over 39 minutes, only allowing one Wofford player to record double-digit points.
“It sounds a little ridiculous," Butler said, "but we should have won by a little bit more."
Contact Alejandro Lopez at alopez@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @ajlb95.
UF forward Ronni Williams goes for a layup during Florida's 53-45 win against LSU on Jan. 17, 2016, in the O'Connell Center.
