Florida committed 23 turnovers and couldn't counter Vanderbilt's three-point shooting barrage, as the Gators dropped an 84-68 decision Thursday evening at Memorial Gymnasium.
The loss snapped Florida's program-record seven-game win streak against Southeastern Conference opponents, as the Gators fell to 22-3 overall and 8-2 in league play.
Vanderbilt hit 13-of-23 from behind the three-point arc, including 8-of-13 from junior Merideth Marsh, who tied the school record while totaling a career-high 26 points and led four Commodores in double-figure scoring. Christina Wirth added 20 points, hitting 5-of-6 from long range and 6-of-8 overall. The 13 treys were one shy of the record by a Florida opponent.
Freshman Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) was a bright spot offensively for Florida, as she scored a career-high 16 points, hitting 7-of-12 from the field and grabbing seven rebounds, also a career-best. Steffi Sorensen (Jacksonville, Fla.) added 11 points, hitting 2-of-6 three-pointers and extended her streak of hitting a trey to 20 consecutive games, a run tied for the second-longest in program history. Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.), UF's leading scorer and the second-leading scorer in the SEC with 16.4 points entering the contest, fouled out with 4:37 remaining, just the second time in her career she has collected five personals in a game, leaving with just seven points and three assists.
Vanderbilt scored the first 12 points of the game and assumed a 17-point lead, 24-7, a little more than 11 minutes into the contest. Florida tried to battle back and actually cut the deficit to six points with 3:01 remaining in the opening period, but foul trouble, turnovers and sharp Commodores' shooting prevented the Gators from getting any closer.
“Vanderbilt played an outstanding game,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We just got outplayed. They were tougher than us. We got out-hustled. We got out-coached. You just have to give them every bit of credit for the outcome of this ballgame. They set the tone and we were chasing them the whole ballgame. I'm proud of the way Azania Stewart played and the players who were in the last five minutes of the game. They played with confidence compared with how we played the first 35 minutes.”
Florida (No. 9 AP/No. 11 ESPN-USA Today Coaches) actually shot the ball well from floor, hitting 52.9 percent (27-51), but just 45 percent from the free throw line (9-20). Vanderbilt (18-6, 7-2 SEC) connected on 44.8 percent from the floor (26-58) and 70.4 percent from the stripe (19-27), while holding a 36-32 rebounding edge.
The teams combined for 46 personal fouls, while Vanderbilt was able to score 26 points off of Florida's 23 miscues.
The second half didn't start much better than the first half for Florida, as Vanderbilt scored the first four points of the second half, while the Gators committed four turnovers in the opening four minutes.
Florida also was whistled for its seventh personal foul of the half with 13:52 left in the game. Sha Brooks was among those who were hampered with foul trouble, as she picked up her fourth personal foul with 13:40 remaining in the game, heading to the bench with seven points. Florida's post game also took a pounding, as Aneika Henry also had four fouls even before Brooks had her fourth, while Marshae Dotson and Azania Stewart had three each.
As the foul woes continued to mount, the Gators' defensive play was hampered and the Commodores continued to score. After Lonnika Thompson answered a Vanderbilt trey with one for the Gators, the hosts used a 6-0 run to take a 53-37 lead at the 13:40 mark.
Dotson put back an offensive rebounds, but Marsh nailed her fourth trey that continued Vanderbilt's 14-5 run and the Gators just never recovered, as the Dores assumed a 61-42 lead with less than 12 minutes to go.
Florida could not have gotten off to a worse start, as Vanderbilt ripped off the first 12 points of the game, before Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio) finally got the Gators on the board with a tough jumper in the paint. Florida had missed its first six field goal attempts and committed a pair of turnovers prior to Dotson's bucket.
Christina Wirth then nailed her second three-pointer before the first media timeout and Dotson hit another in the paint at the 15:17 mark. UF's second-leading scorer, however, picked up her second personal foul with 14:28 to go in the half and went to the bench.
Sha Brooks drove hard to the basket and converted the layup and the ensuing free throw to cut the deficit to eight, 15-7.
The Commodores game right back and connected on three straight three-pointers to take a 24-7 lead with 11:47 remaining.
Sharielle Smith finally ended the Vanderbilt spree by hitting a short jumper inside. Steffi Sorensen followed with a trey and Azania Stewart capped the mini 6-0 run that brought Florida within 11.
Jennifer Risper swung the scoring back in Vandy's favor with an outside shot and Wirth tallied her fourth trey of the period and gave the hosts a 16-point edge.
Dotson returned to the court with 8:23 on the clock and the Gators trailing, 29-13, trying to help UF's inside game that had yet to collect an offensive rebound and had turned the ball over eight times.
Her presence was felt, as Stewart came back with a bucket inside. Dotson then corralled the Gators' first offensive board and she put it back, before Sorensen nailed a three-pointer to cap a 7-0 run with 5:15 left.
Hannah Tuomi stopped the run with a bucket underneath, but Susan Yenser (Marietta, Ga.) canned a three-pointer from the top of the arc. Then Dotson came up with a steal, threw down court to Sorensen, who dished to Brooks, who converted the tough layup and the Gators had battled back to get within six points, 31-25, with 3:01.
Florida had a chance to get even closer after forcing a shot-clock violation, but couldn't take advantage by committed a turnover and Vanderbilt responded with the next four points. Stewart hit a bucket inside and the teams closed out with respective trips to the free throw line, as the Commodores took a 37-29 halftime lead.
The Gators heated up and ended the half hitting 47.8 percent from the floor, while Vanderbilt cooled and ended the period with 37.1 percent of its shots falling. Florida also made up most of its rebounding deficit, as the Dores held an 18-17 edge, but limited the Gators to just three on the offensive end.
Wirth led all scorers with 14 points, hitting 4-of-4 from behind the arc, while Marideth Marsh converted 3-of-6 from long range to tally 11 points, as the two helped Vandy sink 7-of-14 three-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
Brooks was UF's leading scorer at the break with seven points, while Dotson had six points and six rebounds despite her two early fouls.
Florida will try to regroup and continues its road stretch in Baton Rouge on Sunday, when the Gators play LSU (12-9, 5-4 SEC) in a nationally televised game, as FSN broadcasts the contest with tip-off scheduled for Noon ET (11 a.m. CT). The Lady Tigers, who enjoyed a mid-week bye from competition, will incorporate the inaugural Women's Basketball Coaches Association's “Pink Zone Challenge” with their 13th annual Pack the PMAC as initiatives and promotions.
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