(WBK) Gators Set to Compete at Preseason WNIT this Weekend

GATORS UNABLE TO OVERCOME HOT SHOOTING FROM TIGERS
A three-point barrage pushed Towson over Florida in the Preseason WNIT opener.
RALEIGH, N.C. – In the opening game of the Preseason WNIT, Florida women's basketball fell to a scorching Towson team, 87-70, after the Tigers finished an efficient 12-of-19 from long range.
Jordyn Merritt led the way for the Gators (1-1, 0-0 SEC), posting a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds while senior Kristina Moore added 12 off of the bench and Zippy Broughton ended her night with 10 points and six rebounds.
From the field, Florida shot 25-of-71 (35.2%) and 10-of-24 (41.7%) from deep. Towson (2-0, 0-0 CAA) shot 27-of-68 (39.7%) from the floor, with 12 of their makes coming from behind the three-point line. Aleah Nelson led the Tigers with 39 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
In a bright spot for the Gators, UF held the advantage down low, outrebounding Towson 48-47 in addition to outscoring the opposition in the paint, 20-18. Florida also tallied four blocks, including three from Merritt.
In a game in which Florida never led, Towson opened on a 21-3 run in the first quarter, taking a commanding lead right away to hold a 37-20 lead at the end of one. Despite the slow start, the Gators wouldn't go away, pulling within 13 points during the third quarter behind back-to-back layups from Moore.
Continuing to battle into the fourth, the Blue & Orange used a Lavender Briggs jumper to close the gap to just 11 early in the final frame, but a Ryan Evans triple extended the lead right back. Freshman Alberte Rimdal did manage to answer with a three of her own before a quick 4-0 spurt from the Tigers would open up the game for good.

Florida is back in action on Sunday, Nov. 14 when they take-on No. 5/4 North Carolina State in the second game of the Preseason WNIT.

Postgame Bites
- Jordyn Merritt's 18 points and 11 rebounds marked the second double-double of her career.
- Moore's 12 points were just one shy of her career-high of 13 against Villanova in the WNIT last season.
- Both of the Wyche sisters scored in the same game for the first time in their career.
- Florida assisted on 16 of their 25 made shots in Friday's game.

Quoteables
Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley
On starting quicker and bouncing back…
"Our starts are something that we're focusing on and that first quarter was tough for us. Towson did a great job of executing their gameplan and we were hesitant because of it. They're a very talented team. We are focused on continuing to improve every day."
Date: November 12, 2021 Category: Women's Basketball
more at Gators Unable to Overcome Hot Shooting from Tigers - Florida Gators

 

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 11.12.2021 | Erin Neri
NELSON DROPS 39 TO SET REYNOLDS COLISEUM SCORING RECORD IN 87-70 WIN OVER FLORIDA
Raleigh, N.C. – Aleah Nelson led her team to victory on Friday night with a big 87-70 win over Florida during the first day of the WNIT Preseason Classic.
Nelson scored a career-high 39 points to set a new building record at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum. The record was previously held by Wolfpack-great Andrea Stinson, who set it 30 years ago against North Carolina (2/12/91). The junior point guard also added eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals.
Three other Tigers also joined Nelson in double-figures in Tarriyonna Gary (16), Allie Kubek (11) and Anissa Rivera (11). Rivera's 11-point, 13-rebound performance secured her second consecutive double-double and the 17th of her career.
The Tigers led the Gators for 39:53 of the contest, to secure their third all-time win over a power five opponent and first in 16 years. The team also defeated Purdue in the WNIT postseason tournament in 1969 and Wake Forrest in 2005. The victory also marks head coach Diane Richardson's first win over a power five program.

Records:

• Towson – 2-0 (0-0 CAA)
• Florida – 1-1 (0-0 SEC)

How it Happened:

• The Tigers got off to a hot start, scoring eight points to begin the game. Gary and Nelson each added 3-pointers in the run. Both went on to hit one more apiece to extend the Tiger's lead to 14-3 just 3:30 into the first quarter. The team would go onto score 13 uninterrupted points for their biggest run of the game.
• 5:14 into action, Towson held Florida to just five points.
• Nelson would end the first period going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc for 17 points to give her team the 37-20 edge.
• The junior point guard picked up right where she left off in the second, getting two field goals early to put the Tigers up 44-28.
• Through the middle of the second, Towson held Florida to zero of seven from the field, holding them scoreless over a 4:00 period. The Tigers took their biggest lead of the game in the ninth minute of the second, going up by 20 points.
• The defense forced four turnovers and earned one steal in the period.
• Nelson ended the first half with 21 points and six assists. Gary also added 16 points. The two standouts helped the Tigers to retain the lead for the entire first two quarters. The Tigers went into the locker room up 17 points, 55-38.
• Florida rallied in the third, scoring 20 points to Towson's 16. Nelson stayed consistent with 11 points.
• Less than three minutes into the fourth, Rivera cracked double-digits with a layup followed by a 3-pointer from Evans to put the Tigers up 14.
• With under a minute to go, Nelson found Allie Kubek at the top of the key for a 3-pointer so solidify the win. Kubek ended the day with 11 points, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field.

Inside the Numbers:
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Nelson Drops 39 To Set Reynolds Coliseum Scoring Record in 87-70 Win Over Florida - Towson University Athletics