With No. 18 Florida leading early 4-3, LSU ripped off a devastating 30-6 run during a 7:45 span mid-way through the first half to take a 23-point advantage (33-10) en route to a 84-59 victory at Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Florida's record fell to 11-5 overall, 1-2 in the SEC, while LSU improved to 8-5, 1-1 in league play.
"First you have to give LSU a lot of credit," UF head coach Carol Ross said. "They had a good game plan and executed it. They kept the ball out of Vanessa Hayden's hands and we just started standing around. They handled our press and we didn't adjust. We wanted to get everyone involved early, but couldn't. The bad went worse and then the ugly got uglier for us."
Freshman Tara Talyor led Florida with a career-high 23 points, while Vanessa Hayden scored all of her 16 points in the second half, in addition to collecting 16 rebounds to record her 11th double-double of the season. They were the only two Lady Gators to score in double-figures.
Brandi McCain, who entered the game averaging 16.1 points, managed just two points in the loss and saw her consecutive-games streak of scoring a 3-point field goal end at 30 games.
LSU's Doneeka Hodges led all scorers with 29 points, leading four Lady Tigers in double-figures.
Florida shot just 30.9 percent from the floor during the game, while LSU shot a steady 45.3 percent.
The Lady Gators did get LSU's lead down to 15 (46-28) in the opening stages of the second half, but the Lady Tigers answered with an 8-0 run to balloon their advantage back to 23 points (54-28) with 14:34 remaining in the game.
"At halftime we thought we might be able to come out of the locker room and make a good run at them," Ross said. "We got on a good run early, but LSU came right back and took us out of our game."
Foul trouble plagued the Lady Gators all evening and LSU took advantage. Tishona Gregory, UF's starting point guard, fouled out of the game with 12:49 remaining. Brandi McCain picked up her fourth personal with 14:34 to go, Monique Cardenas collected her third at the 13:32 mark of the second period, while Vanessa Hayden recorded her third personal at the 4:17 mark of the first half.
Florida shot just 23.5 percent (8-of-34) in the first half, scoring a season-low 17 points in the opening period. The Lady Gator's two leading scorers – Vanessa Hayden and Brandi McCain – failed to score during the first 20 minutes, with only Courtney Cooper, Monique Cardenas and Tara Taylor netting points.
LSU shot 46.7 percent (14-of-30) in the first half, with all six players who saw action got on the scoreboard.
LSU shot 1-for-11 and Florida 1-for-6 to start the game, with both teams committing four turnovers each, as the game was tied at 2-all for the first five-plus minutes of the game.
The offense for both teams started to pick up, but each squad shot an identical 3-for-14 (21.4%) from the floor with 10:49 remaining in the period. LSU had an 8-6 lead at that stage, but the game already had produced three lead changes and two tied scores.
With the game tied at 6-all, LSU went on a 10-2 run sparked by eight points from Doneeka Hodges to take an early 18-8 lead. UF's Monique Cardenas then hit a jumper in the lane to halt a nine-point spree, but the Lady Tigers followed that with a 15-0 run to take a commanding 33-10 lead with under five minutes remaining in the opening half. Tara Taylor finally ended the brutal LSU outburst, but Ke-Ke Tardy answered right back with a back-door layup, as the Lady Tigers led 35-12.
Vanessa Hayden picked up her second personal foul with 13:27 remaining in the opening half and went to the bench without scoring and the game tied at 2-all. She re-entered the game at the 6:46 mark, but LSU had taken a 24-10 lead at that stage. Without scoring, Hayden was whistled for her third personal and again had to leave the game, this time at the 4:17 mark with the Lady Tigers leading 31-10.
Hayden wasn't the only Lady Gator in foul trouble, as Florida was whistled for its seventh team foul at the 12:02 mark and collected 10 during the opening stanza, while LSU was called for just three, as the Lady Tigers took a comfortable 37-17 halftime lead.
Florida next plays on Sunday, January 13, when the Lady Gators host Alabama in the O'Connell Center. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m., and admission is $3 for adults and free for all UF students and youth 17 and under.
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