Florida Women’s Basketball Comes Up Short at FSU
Florida women’s basketball opened the season 3-0, but its scorching start has come to a halt at the hands of in-state foes.
Three days after a fourth-quarter comeback against South Florida fell short, Florida still couldn’t find its footing against Florida State, as the Seminoles (5-0) bested the Gators (3-2) 71-63 Sunday in Tallahassee to continue their recent dominance in the series, winning 14 of the last 18 matchups.
The game featured back-and-forth scoring all afternoon, with 13 lead changes, nine of them in the first half. However, the battle tilted in the Seminoles’ favor behind a 25-13 fourth-quarter effort.
Florida leaned on the three-ball throughout the afternoon. After shooting 30.4% from three-point range against the Bulls, the Gators started to find their footing against FSU, shooting 36% (10-of-28) and accounting for 30 points. Florida shot 33% overall, compared with 46% for the Seminoles.
Kiyomi McMiller led the Gators with 15 points, and Moriah Murray added 12, going 4-of-7 from three-point range.
Morgan Stewart, who entered the game leading FSU in scoring at 15.5 points per game, continued fueling the Seminoles’ efforts with a career-high 22 points. The freshman mainly led Florida State’s early efforts, with 15 of her points coming in the first half.
While Florida didn’t win the Sunshine State showdown, the Gators won the battle on the glass, outrebounding Florida State 40-31. The Gators capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 21 points to the Seminoles’ seven.
The Seminoles’ ability to score down low also paid off, as they outscored the Gators 32-18 in the paint.
In her first career start as a Gator, Jade Weathersby quickly proved why she got the nod, drilling a 3-pointer 27 seconds in to set the tone early for Florida. Weathersby also led Florida on the boards with seven rebounds.
But every time the Gators found the net, the Seminoles had a response, staying within 20-18 after the first quarter, largely behind the combined effort from senior Aga Makurat and Stewart, who contributed 14 points while going 6-of-8 from the field.
Florida gained momentum in the second quarter with a 5-0 scoring run at the 7:13 mark. But self-inflicted wounds allowed FSU to erase the Gators’ seven-point lead, as Florida committed 13 turnovers by the half. A costly turnover by Skye Owen in the final seconds led to a fast-break basket by Stewart that gave FSU a 34-32 lead at the half.
However, forward Vivian Iwuchukwu spearheaded Florida’s 18-12 third-quarter effort with six points to put the lead back in the Gators’ hands, 50-46. Iwuchukwu entered as Florida’s most reliable threat over the last three games, averaging 17.7 points per game with 81% efficiency. While the forward wasn’t as efficient against Florida State, going 3-for-7, she still made an impact with 10 points and six rebounds while getting to the line four times.
But Florida State found its stroke from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, knocking down three straight three-point shots during a 9-0 scoring run at the 5:34 mark to dampen the Gators’ momentum.
The Gators finished the game with a season-high 19 turnovers that they’ll look to clean up as they return home to face another in-state opponent, welcoming Florida Atlantic to Gainesville on Thursday.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Women's Basketball
