Florida Women’s Basketball Can’t Overcome No. 25 Alabama’s 3-Point Barrage

The O’Dome was roaring late in the third quarter Sunday when Florida women’s basketball ripped off a 12-0 run tp grab its first lead.

For a few minutes, an upset felt within reach.

Then No. 25 Alabama (21-7, 7-7 SEC) did what it has done all season. The Crimson Tide buried 3 after 3 to pull away late for a 76-71 win against Florida (16-13, 4-10).

Alabama came into the matchup leading the SEC in 3-point percentage. The Crimson Tide shot 12 of 23 from 3-point range (52 percent) and 54 percent from the field. All 12 3-pointers came from just two players. Jessica Timmons went 7 of 10 from deep and scored a career-high 34 points. Ta’Mia Scott added 21 points and shot 5 of 8 from 3. They accounted for 55 of Alabama’s points or more than 70 percent of the team’s total. Outside of Timmons and Scott’s scoring barrage, Karly Weathers made an impact with a team-high six rebounds and nine assists.

Florida, winner of three of its last four games, was searching for its first-ranked victory of the season. The Gators put themselves in position to get it.

Alabama led by as many as 12 late in the third quarter before the Gators surged ahead over the final four minutes of the period to take a 58-54 lead. Florida won the quarter 26-16 as the sea of orange and blue in the lower bowl rose to its feet.

“Our crowd had a huge part to do with that,” Florida coach Kelly Rae Finley said. “It was electrifying to hear the crowd in big moments.”

The momentum proved short-lived.

With the game tied 68-68 and 2:20 remaining, Timmons buried a 3-pointer. She then followed it with an and-one on the next trip to rattle off a quick six points to push Alabama ahead for good. Florida shot 4 of 15 in the fourth and was outscored 22-13 over the final 10 minutes.

“Gutsy and gritty road win,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “We stuck with our game plan down the stretch on both sides of the ball. Karly and Jess’s leadership fueled belief late in a tough environment.”

“Big time players make big time plays in big time moments,” Finley added.

Florida battled foul trouble throughout the afternoon. Laila Reynolds scored 12 points before fouling out, while Caterina Piatti and Me’Arah O’Neal were limited with four fouls each.

“We had five players who play significant minutes with three fouls or more,” Finley said. “It created some adversity for us.”

There were positives for Florida despite the loss. The Gators controlled the interior, outrebounding Alabama 37-28 and winning the points in the paint. Florida’s bench also outscored Alabama’s 26-10 behind 13 points and a season-high eight rebounds from Jade Weathersby, 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from Nyadieng Yiech and a career-high 10 rebounds from K’Nisha Godfrey. Godfrey also provided strong defensive pressure.

“K’Nisha Godfrey is a hustler, she’s a playmaker and most of all she’s a competitor,” Finley said.

Liv McGill played all 40 minutes and led Florida with 19 points and eight assists, extending her double-digit scoring streak to 29 games. But she struggled at the line, finishing 5 of 13 as Florida went 15 of 25 from the free-throw line.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well from the free-throw line,” Finley said. “Those are freebies.”

With two games remaining before the SEC Tournament, Florida now turns its focus to No. 17 Ole Miss (21-8, 8-6), which visits Gainesville on Thursday at 6 p.m.

“Ole Miss is extremely physical,” Finley said. “They rebound the ball very, very well. They get out in transition and they really pile the ball in the paint. That’s going to be a challenge for us.”

Category: College Basketball, Gator Sports, Gators Women's Basketball, SEC