Amanda Butler cautioned her team against the athletic, guard-oriented play Miami posed.
For the first half of Sunday’s game, the Gators failed to heed that warning.
UF ended its season with a 77-64 second-round loss in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament to UM. Florida trailed by 11 at the end of a first half where it shot below 30 percent.
“The first half was just not the way we play,” Butler said. “You’re playing a good opponent on their home floor it’s too little, too late.”
The Gators were better offensively in the second half, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and making 8 of 19 from three-point range, but they were never able to get closer than eight points.
Miami kept UF out of arms reach with a strong showing from the free-throw line, hitting 11 of 14 in the second half.
“We did a horrible job taking care of the basketball,” Butler said. “When we look at the film, that’s the thing we’ll be most disappointed in … It’s just how many opportunities we gave the ball back to them to score.”
The Gators had 18 turnovers, two fewer than the Hurricanes, but 13 came in the first half and it was Miami that took advantage of the turnovers with 18 second-chance points and 10 fast-break points to Florida’s four.
UF’s overcompensation for Miami’s athleticism cost the Gators early.
UM’s leading scorers, Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams, combined for 38.3 points per game entering Sunday’s contest. Through the first half, they accounted for just eight points. Johnson finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Williams added 15 points. Charmaine Clark contributed 16 points – almost 10 above her season average.
UF kept pace with the Hurricanes the first five minutes of the game, trading buckets.
A Jennifer George layup brought the Gators to within three with 15:01 remaining in the first half, before a six-plus minute scoring drought.
Guards Steffi Sorensen, Jordan Jones and Lonnika Thompson were all kept in check by UM’s athleticism in the first period.
The trio had just four points between them, including a scoreless Sorensen who was held to just two shots before intermission.
The Gators shot 29.2 percent in the first period, and the only shining spot was center Azania Stewart who had 11 first-half points. She finished with a team-high 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.
“Everybody did a good job of recognizing she was hot,” Butler said. “The exciting thing is we’ve got her for two more years.”
Florida shot and played better in the second half — 47.2 field-goal percentage and half as many turnovers as the ‘Canes -— but was still overwhelmed by UM’s athletes.
Sorensen found her shot and hit 5 of 9 three-pointers after the break and totaled 15. Down 17 points with 15:25 left, UF went on a 12-4 spurt spanning 2:45. With a tie in sight, the Hurricanes clamped down and kept the Gators at bay.
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
