A well-rounded effort on Thursday afternoon propelled Florida to a 71-67 win over Mississippi State in its first game of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
As per usual, senior Jaterra Bonds and redshirt junior Kayla Lewis led the way for the Gators, scoring 18 and 17 points respectively.
“It's good for us to be in this tournament and take one game at a time,” Lewis said. “Mississippi State is a good team. They have good players, players that are all SEC. Fouls were called that kept people out on both sides. It was nice to survive and win.”
Florida dominated the first half, entering halftime with a 13-point lead and shooting 59.3 percent.
The Gators owned the paint in the half, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-8 in that domain.
In the second half, however, Mississippi State stormed back to take the lead with 7:51 remaining in the game, 56-55.
A clutch jump shot and three-pointer from redshirt sophomore Cassie Peoples subsequently crushed the Bulldogs’ hopes, as the Gators hung on for the win.
“Our leaders, upperclassmen, showed great composure, even though they were guilty of some of those mistakes,” coach Amanda Butler said. “Collectively we did a good job of getting back to this is the way we need to play, these are the things that make us a good team, these are things that aren't, so let's leave them on the bench.”
Florida is set to play No. 12 Kentucky on Friday for the third time this season. The Gators won the previous two contests 86-80 in Gainesville, and 83-73 in Kentucky.
“I think at this point, how many times we've played them or what those previous outcomes were just really aren't a factor,” Butler said.
“We know it will be a great contest. Again, one of the best teams not just in the league, but in the country. Another fantastic opportunity for us.”
Follow Gordon Streisand on Twitter @GordonStreisand
Jaterra Bonds looks for an opening during Florida’s 68-62 loss against Georgia on Jan. 19 in the O’Connell Center.
