Sophomore Bernice Mosby led No. 20 Florida with 19 points, but it was not enough to overcome the hot-shooting 16th-ranked LSU Tigers 91-72 in front of a crowd of 2,519 in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Mosby and Sarah Lowe brought the Gators within nine points, 61-52, with 10:45 remaining in the game, but LSU responded with a quick 6-0 run and Florida was unable to get within double-figures again. After winning a season-high five consecutive games, the Gators now have lost two straight for the first time this season and next travel to No. 3 Tennessee for a Thursday night game in Knoxville.
The Gators (16-7, 6-4 SEC) struggled to stop the Tiger's scoring attack and couldn't get the ball to drop offensively. LSU (20-4, 8-2) was able to get many high-percentage looks at the basket and capitalized by shooting 61.3 percent (38-62) from the floor. Meanwhile, the Gators struggled to hit 35.2 percent (25-71). Florida did continue to control the boards, earning a 42-35 edge while holding LSU to just five offensive rebounds and collecting 21 themselves.
"Defensively, the intensity wasn't there the way it has been the rest of the season," UF head coach Carolyn Peck said. "I think our rotations weren't as quick or alert as they needed to be. We just had different defensive breakdowns and LSU was able to take advantage of those."
Vanessa Hayden scored 17 points for UF but seemed uncomfortable finding a rhythm, shooting 7-for-24 from the floor. Hayden also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds with three blocks. Danielle Santos also scored in double figures with 11 points. Mosby added six rebounds and two steals to her offensive output.
Seimone Augustus led the Tigers with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. She also topped the Tigers rebounding effort with seven. Temeka Johnson added 17 points with six rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes of action, while Wendlyn Jones and Doneeka Hodges each tallied 15 points and Scholanda Hoston chipped in 11.
"The plan is to always try and dominate the points in the paint and that doesn't come necessarily from our post players," LSU associate head coach Dana Chatman said. "It's a matter of execution. Sometimes we spread the floor and get some penetration or get somebody to help. That's one of the areas we pride ourselves in."
The game was played evenly through the first 12 minutes of the opening half. The teams traded baskets and were deadlocked at 22-22 with 7:38 to play in the half before LSU went on a 15-5 run over the next four minutes and led 37-27 with 3:38 remaining in the period.
UF was able to cut the lead to nine before the half, going into the break trailing 42-33, but was never able to close the gap any further in the second half. LSU stayed hot, outscoring the Gators 14-6 during the first six minutes out of the locker room, pushing the lead to 56-39.
The Gators fought back to within eleven, 52-63, with 10:18 to play, but came no closer to catching the Tigers the rest of the way. LSU led by as many as 22 in the final frame.
Postgame Comments
FLORIDA
Head Coach Carolyn Peck:
Opening statement:
"You have to compliment LSU. I think they did a very good job of attacking the basket and especially getting looks off penetration. This is a team that does a really good job, especially the point guard, Temeka Johnson, of penetrating and finding open people. For us, on the other hand, we did some things well. We out-rebounded them, we had more shot attempts. I thought we got very good play out of Bernice Mosby, Sarah Lowe and Danielle Santos. Competing -- that's something that's got to happen for 40 minutes. We just had different defensive breakdowns and LSU was able to capitalize and take advantage of those."
On LSU being more intense on defense:
"We had inside looks that were rimming in and out, especially layups. I think that had a lot to do with us. Those are shots that we can finish and that we work on every day."
On LSU getting layups:
"I think our overall intensity isn't where it's been in the past. I think that can be a lot better. I think our rotations weren't as quick or alert as they needed to be."
Guard Sarah Lowe
On LSU's Temeka Johnson:
"She's a great point guard and she's a senior. She played really well. She's extremely quick. It seems like you stop her and then all of a sudden she gets a shot up and it seems to fall. I respect her as a player and she's difficult to guard."
Forward Bernice Mosby
On her aggressiveness in the second half:
"When Vanessa went out, I tried to take over because I know that when Vanessa's out I've got to take over for our team. I tried to get energy and spark back for our team, but we just came up short."
LSU
Associate Head Coach Dana Chatman:
On getting layups in the second half:
"The plan is to always try and dominate the points in the paint and that doesn't necessarily come from our post players. It's a matter of execution. Sometimes we spread the floor and get some penetration or get somebody to help. That's one of the areas that we pride ourselves on."
On LSU slowing down Florida's Vanessa Hayden:
"I think it goes back to the offensive end of the floor. You have to make a player of her size and caliber play both ends and try to fatigue her. Every time we play Florida, we usually have a post player by committee. We get a lot of people in there and make (Vanessa) defend a smaller player and our version of basketball and getting out in transition -- that kind of helps you when the game gets into the waning moments. That shot may fall a little shorter or maybe you won't go for an extra rebound. She's a tremendous player, so you have to have some type of scheme in mind."
END OF REPORT
