Gator Country

Florida sophomore guard Jordan Jones brings the ball past midcourt during the Gators 75-68 loss to High Point on Monday at the O'Connell Center. / Gator Country photo by Casey Brooke Lawson

The University of Florida women’s basketball team was unable to overcome a 12-point second-half deficit and 11 High Point 3-pointers in a 75-68 loss to the Panthers on Monday in the championship game of the Gator Holiday Classic in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

Senior forward Sharielle Smith led the Gators (5-6) with a team-high 11 points to go along with 11 rebounds for her fifth career double-double and second this season.

Florida, which trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half and was down 56-46 with 11:45 remaining, used a 9-0 run to cut within one, 56-55, on a Jennifer George basket with 6:48 left in the game. After trading baskets, a George hoop at the 4:51 mark gave the Gators their first lead of the second half at 59-58.

High Point then ran off six consecutive points to go up 64-59 before a Jennifer Mossor basket with 2:06 left brought Florida to within three, 64-61. Smith missed a 3-pointer from the left corner and then fouled attempting to grab the offensive rebound. The Panthers’ Lateisha Dean then canned a 3-pointer from the other end to put High Point ahead for good at 67-61.

Florida shot 42.4 percent (28-of-66) from the floor in the game, but connected on just 5-of-25 from beyond the arc. The Panthers, who shot 46.2 percent (24-of-52), thrived from long range, making 11-of-18 3-point goals.

Sophomore guard Trumae Lucas charted a season-high 10 points, while George added nine. Sophomore center Azania Stewart tallied eight points. Senior guard Lonnika Thompson posted a season-high four steals, while senior guard Steffi Sorensen had six points and seven rebounds.

Florida used a dominant post presence to help its cause in the game, out-rebounding the Panthers 39-33 and out-scoring them 40-18 in points in the paint.

High Point (5-6), a member of the Big South Conference, placed three players in double-figure scoring, led by Dean’s game-high 17 points.

Florida returns to action on Monday, Dec. 28, when it plays host to Ohio University in the first game of a Gator Basketball doubleheader that day. Tip-off for the women’s game is slated for 4:30 p.m.

Photo Gallery: UF Women’s basketball vs. High Point, 12/21/09 (click here to view gallery)

DIRECTORY OF GATOR COUNTRY PHOTO GALLERIES

About the author

jumper42

Casey Brooke Lawson earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida in December 2008. Lawson was born in Sarasota, Fla., but now still resides in Gainesville, Fla. Lawson picked up her first camera before she could walk, and now, 24 years later, she has made a career of her first love. She has been working as a photojournalist for eight years. She began at her high school, Sarasota High School, interned with the Gainesville Sun, Sarasota Herald Tribune, The Independent Florida Alligator and Sports Illustrated. Now, Lawson is a regularly contributing photojournalist for Gator Country. Trained in sports photography by Gator Country's own Tim Casey, sports photojournalism has become one of Lawson's favorite parts of her job.

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