Hannah Tuomi scored a career-high 26 points by hitting all 10 shots from the floor and led No. 22 Vanderbilt to a 71-60 win against Florida Wednesday in front of 4,488 at Memorial Gymnasium.
The Gators cut a nine-point halftime deficit to one with 12:34 remaining, but could never take the lead, as the Commodores (20-8, 9-6 SEC) swept the season series and won their sixth straight against Florida (14-14, 7-8 SEC).
“We were dominated by Hannah Tuomi in the paint. She had an incredible individual performance,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We tried to guard her a couple of different ways. I'm really disappointed with our post defense and that we couldn't do a better job on an individual who generally doesn't have a scoring role for their team.”
The Gators began the second half very different than they started the game, hitting shots and playing aggressively that resulted in a 9-2 run and whittled a nine-point halftime deficit to two points, 33-31, less than four minutes into the period.
“That was one bright spot for us, how we responded to start the second half because we've struggled in that area,” Butler said. “But we dug ourselves a hole and couldn't find a way to recover. We let them outrebound us and they haven't been one of the stronger rebounding teams in our league this season.”
Jordan Jones scored the first four points, before freshman forward Jennifer George hit a tough inside bucket and Steffi Sorensen nailed a three-pointer to force a Vanderbilt timeout.
Tuomi hit a shot out of the timeout but Steffi Sorensen followed with an offensive rebound putback to keep the Gators within two points, 35-33.
The teams traded scores for the next two-plus minutes, before Tuomi converted one free throw and Jones put in two for Florida, drawing the visitors within one point, 40-39, with 12:34 remaining.
Florida had a couple chances to take its first lead of the game, but couldn't convert and Tuomi capitalized with a three-point play to bring Vanderbilt's lead to four.
The Gators began to accumulate foul trouble and show the effects of having their tallest player, 6-foot-4 Azania Stewart, unavailable to play due to injury. Ndidi Madu picked up two fouls and George, who had been UF's leading scorer in the game with 13 points, was whistled for her fourth at the 10:38 mark.
“I thought that was a turning point because George was having a very good offensive game,” Butler said. “That's part of the adversity you face in our game. You have to play earlier defense than that, then maybe she doesn't get into that position.”
Tuomi's trio began a 7-0 run and gave Vanderbilt a 47-39 lead. Sorensen halted the run with a trey and the teams again traded scores before Tuomi converted another three-point play that lifted the home team to an eight point advantage, 52-44, with 7:59 on the clock.
The Gators refused to fold and Madu came back by putting in a loose ball under the basket and Sorensen nailed her third three of the period and had Florida within three points, 52-49, with 6:53 to play.
Florida limited VU to one shot on its next trip down the floor, but couldn't take advantage on the offensive end, as Merideth Marsh nailed a three-pointer and Tuomi followed with one free throw that took the difference to seven, 56-49.
Lonnika Thompson drove the lane and connected on a layyp, but Marsh hit a deep jumper and Florida still trailed by seven points with 3:51 to play.
Jones connected on a pair from the stripe with 3:22 on the clock and cut the deficit to five.
Both teams then committed turnovers, before Tuomi slide through traffic in the paint and dropped in a layup with just under two minutes left.
Florida missed on its next offensive possession and Vanderbilt stalled in the backcourt, forcing the Gators to foul. Jessica Mooney made her first free throw, missed the second, but VU came away with the offensive rebound. Jence Rhoads stepped up with a tough shot and was fouled, coming away with a three-point play with 58.2 seconds remaining and giving the Commodores a 64-53 lead.
Florida again when cold on its ensuing offensive possession and Roads sank a driving layup and extended Vanderbilt's lead to 13 points.
Trumae Lucas hit a free throw with less than 30 seconds left, Florida's first points since Jones' free throws, as Vanderbilt out-scored the Gators 13-8 during the final two minutes en route to the win.
George scored a team-high 13 points on 6-of-9 from the field for Florida, which shot 40.4 percent from the floor, but was outrebounded, 31-24 in the game. Vanderbilt hit 57.8 percent overall (26-45).
Sorensen scored all of her 11 points in the second half, while Jones tallied 11 for the Gators, who committed 13 turnovers in the game.
Florida had trouble finding its shot during the first four minutes, hitting just 1-of-5 and turning the ball over three times, which Vanderbilt converted into five points to take an early 9-3 lead.
Jordan Jones hit the Gators' first shot, connecting on a three-pointer near the top of the arc.
The Gators continued their shooting woes during the next four minutes, converting 1-of-4, while the Commodores sank a steady 4-of-7 en route to a 13-5 advantage. Four different players aided VU offensively, while Sharielle Smith hit a short jumper for the Gators during the spurt.
Smith tallies her second basket quickly out of a media timeout, with an assist from Steffi Sorensen, as the teams traded scores over the next four minutes Jennifer George powered up a shot inside and Jennifer Mossor hit a deep jumper as the shot clock expired and brought Florida within three points, 17-14, causing a Vanderbilt timeout.
The Commodores responded out of the 30-second break, netting back-to-back three-pointers and taking a nine-point advantage with just under five minutes left in the half.
The Gators scored the next three points, with Jennifer George hitting one free throw and then a powered up a bucket underneath to cut the deficit to six, 23-17, with 4:11 to play.
That's when Florida hit a dry spell and Vanderbilt scored six consecutive points during a minute and a half block and assumed a 29-17 lead with 34 seconds left in the period.
Trumae Lucas came up with a steal and passed the ball to George, who made the tough jumper. Hannah Tuomi followed with a back door layup, but Lonnika Thompson nailed a three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining to the end first half scoring and the Gators down nine, 31-22.
The Gators return to the court on Sunday, when they play host to Alabama in the regular-season finale for both teams. Tip-off from the O'Connell Center is scheduled for 3 p.m. The game will be televised live on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast, with airing in Gainesville/Ocala on Cox Cable channel 15.
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