Gator Country

It's the first time that UF coaches Billy Donovan, pictured, and Amanda Butler have beaten FSU in the same season. / Gator Country photo.

Patric Young’s sensational one-handed rejection and steal of Bernard James helped capture more than just a win for Gators men’s basketball team. It also helped the University of Florida sweep FSU in basketball for the first time in eight years. Not since the 2003-2004 season have the Gators defeated the Seminoles in both men’s and women’s basketball in the same season. This year, the trend was finally broken.

The Gators women’s basketball team played a then-No. 19 FSU team at home on November 17.

Jennifer George led the way for the Gators scoring 18 points, with Jaterra Bonds and Jordan Jones chipping in 14 points apiece. For the Seminoles, Cierra Bravard scored 22 points before fouling out with 3:48 remaining in the game.

Without their best player, the Seminoles failed to make a late run, and the Gators won 72-58.

Last night, behind a monster performance from Patric Young and another strong shooting night from Brad Beal, the Gators beat the Seminoles 82-64.

The last time the Gators were able to sweep the Seminoles came after the men’s team won on Jan. 3, 2004.

The Gators came into the game at No. 14 and faced a Seminoles team looking to crack the Top 25 for the first time since the 1997-1998 season.

Sophomore Anthony Roberson scored a career-high 28 points for the Gators, while David Lee added 18 points and 8 rebounds. The Gators handled FSU with relative ease, beating the Seminoles 87-73.

Other notables for the Gators were Lee Humphrey and Adrian Moss, with Al Thornton and Von Wafer playing for the Seminoles.

Earlier that season, the Gators women’s basketball team traveled to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles.

All-American Vanessa Hayden dominated the game, scoring 18 points and collecting 12 rebounds and 7 blocks. The Gators beat the Seminoles 74-60 for then-coach Carolyn Peck.

The most impressive statistic from that game was with the win, the Gators women’s basketball team had won 45 consecutive games within the state, while also having beaten the Seminoles 16 straight times.

The 2003-04 season capped a run of six consecutive years the Gators swept the Seminoles in men’s and women’s basketball. The six-year run preceded the eight-year drought that came to a close on Thursday night.

This sweep was the first for the tandem of head coaches Billy Donovan and Amanda Butler.

On the season, the Gators men’s basketball team is 10-2, with the women’s team checking in at 9-3.

You can follow Gator Country writer Phillip Heilman on twitter at @phillip_heilman.

About the author

Phillip Heilman

Phillip originally is from Presque Isle, Maine. From his time spent up north, he became a diehard Boston sports fan — Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins. Growing up, he became so accustomed to winning championships that he had to come to Gainesville — another place where teams know how to win championships. He is an aspiring journalist who is especially interested in politics and law. In the future, Phillip may be writing about your favorite athlete, or he could be suing them.

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