No. 7 Lady Vols Drop Game at Florida, 84-59 Game Recap: Women's Basketball | February 03, 2022 GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 7/7 Tennessee couldn't overcome a hot-handed Florida squad that shot a season-best 53.2 percent Thursday night, falling 84-59 in Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Graduate Alexus Dye led UT (19-3, 8-2 SEC) with 10 points and six rebounds. Senior Rae Burrell and sophomore Tess Darby each finished with nine points, and junior Tamari Key had eight points and eight rebounds. Kiara Smith was the high scorer for Florida (16-6, 6-3 SEC), turning in 25 points. Nina Rickards was the Gators' second-leading scorer with 16, and Jordyn Merritt posted 13. Jordan Horston scored the first points of the contest, knocking down a trey 16 seconds into play, but Florida scrapped back with high-pressure defense, converting Tennessee turnovers into nine straight points to lead 9-3 by the 6:54 mark. Burrell ended the run with a short jumper, but six more points by the Gators gave UF a 10-point lead a minute and a half later. Dye cut it to eight with a layup just before the media timeout, and Key followed it up with another following the break to pull the Lady Vols within six with 3:35 left in the first. A 3-pointer by Tess Darby cut it to three 30 seconds later, but Florida closed out the quarter with a 10-6 run in the final two minutes to lead 25-18 at the end of the first. The Gators opened the second with a 7-2 run to lead by as many as 12 before Dye hit a short jumper to cut the deficit to 32-22 with 6:48 left in the half. Both teams were held scoreless for more than three minutes before Smith ended the drought with a layup at the 3:29 mark. Key hit a pair of free throws and Darby followed it up with another 3-pointer to give the Lady Vols some momentum, and UT closed out the half on a 7-2 run to cut the gap to seven by halftime at 36-29. The Gators came out of the locker room hot, hitting a scorching 69.2 percent of their shots on 9-of-13 marksmanship from the floor in the third quarter. Back-to-back buckets by Smith once again moved the Gators out front by double digits in the opening minute of the second half, but Dye answered with a layup and Burrell followed it up with a jumper to pull UT within seven by the 6:30 mark. The Gators rallied back, launching into a 12-2 run fueled by six quick points by Rickards to lead 52-35 before Sara Puckett ended the skid with a layup. UF extended its lead to 21 before four straight points by Jordan Walker sent the game into the fourth quarter with a score of 59-41. Florida continued to shoot with precision in the final period, hitting three of its first four shots, including two treys to build its lead to 22 points with 8:02 left in the game. A 3-pointer by Darby on the next possession gave UT some life, setting off an 8-2 run that cut the deficit to 16 just over a minute later. An old-fashioned three-point play by Burrell pulled the Lady Vols within 15 with just under six minutes to play, but that was as close as UT would get. Florida closed out the game with an 11-1 run to win 84-59. more athttps://utsports.com/news/2022/2/3/womens-basketball-no-7-lady-vols-fall-to-florida-84-59.aspx
So... who is the Lady Gators' basketball head coach again? That's what I thought. That IS slow minded inaction, IMHO.
After her hot week, teams have been working hard to deny her open shots. She only took 2 shots today. She'll need to add a shot-fake and drive to her game now. She will.
UT’s coach was very complimentary in her post game presser. Video is at the bottom. No. 7 Lady Vols Drop Game at Florida, 84-59 - University of Tennessee Athletics
This is so important. Getting fans in there and getting them to see performances like tonight will bring them back. It is also huge for recruits to see fans following the program.
Living in Knoxville as I do, this is really wonderful. I had an evening dinner but saw we started hot but assumed the Lady Vols would make it close. Guess not!
I saw the ladies get smoked by 33 at NC State back in November. This is a completely different team. Inspiring to see so much improvement. Go Gators!
Of all the opposing SEC coaches Kelly is probably one of the more likable. Pat Summitt loved her as a player.
I believe I saw her. she was on the bench in street clothes. She hasn't really been consistently healthy to make the impact that I know she could without her bad luck with injuries.
Even when she doesn't score she spreads the defense out really well so she made an impact every time she was on the floor, scoring or not. She didn't really get any chance to shoot, except one she had to fling one up to avoid a shot clock violation
Agreed. I caught part of that NCSU game and we looked slow and unsure. Yesterday we looked fast and confident.
To add to that, against the better teams earlier this season, her passes tended to get batted away or intercepted. I think she was a bit shocked by the athleticism of the SEC. She's passing the ball better now so as the defenses are going after her to take her open looks away, her passes are still helping the offense. There's no substitute for experience in college basketball.
She's turned the progam into something I never thought I'd see, an incredibly competitive women's bball team that meets UF athletic standards and we're interested in. This looks to be the best women's bball of all time team at UF.
