UF Women’s Basketball storms past Wisconsin

The Gator women’s basketball team (8-1) earned their eighth consecutive win of the season after a hard fought game against the Wisconsin Badgers (3-5) on Monday night, 91-75.

The final score was not indicative of how tight the game was initially as the Gators found themselves down by nine points early on before closing the gap to one heading into half-time. Florida carried its momentum from the second quarter into the second half as they smothered the Badgers on defense and held them to just 18 points in the third period.

Gator Head Coach Amanda Butler says she was very pleased with the way they started the third quarter.

Florida’s stifling defense continued to lead to more points on offense as they outscored Wisconsin 21-13 in the fourth period. The Gators had four players in their back court reach double figures scoring as forwards Haley Lorenzen and Ronni Williams struggled to contribute.

Guard Eleanna Christinaki led the way with 21 points and four rebounds, while guard January Miller eclipsed 800  career points as a Gator scoring ten. Guard Cassie Peoples also chipped in 20 points on a number of key baskets to propel Florida to the win.

Butler says their depth allows anyone to make a great contribute on any given night. 

In addition to shooting 47 percent from the field, the Gators shot 44 percent from beyond the arc and scored 28 points off of the Badgers’ 22 turnovers. Despite their ability to play Florida’s up-tempo style, Wisconsin ultimately could not keep up with the Gators for the duration of the game. The Badgers could do nothing but watch as Florida outscored their bench a whopping 56-14.

Butler says she’s ultimately proud of how the team endured their struggles throughout the game to get the win. 

The Gators will look to extend their winning streak to nine games when they face Robert Morris this Sunday at the O’Dome. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.