TUSCALOOSA, AL — Senior Sha Brooks scored a game-high 29 points to lead the 11th-ranked Florida Gators to a 92-71 victory over Alabama Thursday night at Coleman Coliseum. The Gators improved to 21-2 overall, 7-1 in the Southeastern Conference, the best start in the 36-year history of the women’s basketball program.
The Gators, who have totaled 186 points in their last two games, sank 11-of-17 three-pointers en route to shooting 49.3 from the floor (34-69). Steffi Sorensen tied her career high of 15 points with nine rebounds, also a mark that tied her career-high. Sorensen hit 4-of-5 from the three-point arc, connecting on a trey for the 18th consecutive game, which is tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history, matching the run made by Brooks during the 2006-07 season.
Brooks heated up to hit 6-of-9 from long range, while senior Marshae Dotson posted her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, headlining Florida’s rebounding effort that held a 48-38 advantage on the boards, with 18 coming on the offensive end that resulted in 20 second-chance points.
Aneika Henry added 11 points with a season-high five blocks and helped Florida cool down Alabama’s shooting from the field, as the Tide (12-11, 0-8 SEC) hit 39.1 percent in the game, including 28.6 percent in the second half after the hosts converted 51.7 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
“To be able to get a win on someone else’s floor and score as many points as we did on the road is a great thing,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We had great offensive balance tonight and it was a great team win. There was a lot of very physical play in the ballgame and I liked the way we handled it and played through it. It was a good test for us.”
The Gators’ victory was their sixth consecutive in SEC play, tying the 2000-01 Gators for Florida’s longest conference win streak in program history.
Trailing 30-27, Florida went on a 22-5 run in the final 6:02 of the first half to take a 48-35 lead entering the break, but it was Alabama that ripped off a quick 7-0 run to start the second half, cutting the Gators’ lead to six, 48-42.
Brooks nailed a three-pointer, but Ericka Russell answered with one for the Tide. After a bucket from Sharielle Smith and one from Alabama, Florida used a 5-0 spurt with points from Dotson, Brooks and a pull-up 15-footer from Lonnika Thompson to take an 11-point lead, 58-47.
The teams traded scores for the next minute and half until Sorensen nailed a three-pointer and Brooks followed with one of her own to extend the lead to 15 points, 68-53.
Those pair of treys ignited hot shooting from both clubs, as the next six minutes featured a total of seven 3-pointers, five from the Gators, who mounted a 27-8 run during an 8:41 span to take an 89-61 lead with 5:26 remaining.
“We always feel like we are going to be the better conditioned team and tonight during that stretch we could sense Alabama getting tired,” Butler said. “We knew tempo was going to be a key for us and taking advantage of that moment when we had confidence in our bodies and conditioning, knowing that times like this is why you put the extra work in during the summer and that credit goes to our strength and conditioning coordinator Karin Werth.”
Florida’s bench held a commanding 32-5 advantage over Alabama’s, with five different Gators contributing offensively. Henry’s 11 points led
the charge, but freshman Trumae Lucas continued her strong play by adding nine points with a career-best four assists. Azania Stewart added seven points and five rebounds.
Henry’s block of Ericka Russell at the 10:35 mark of the second half was her third of the game and the 100th of her career, sixth best career total for a Gator. It also was the senior’s 12th consecutive game with a blocked shot.
“One of our games goals is for our bench to score 30 points and when we wrote it on the board tonight I that that might be a lofty goal,” Butler said. “But we knew that Azania was ready to play. Aneika has been consistent for us. Trumae is giving us good minutes. Kim Critton came in and gave us an offensive spark those last five minutes. When we’re shooting the ball as well as we are, too, the looks are coming from a lot of different places. We’ve said it over and over again, but our bench play is a crucial part of our game.”
Varisia Raffington led four Tide players in double-figure scoring with 18.
The teams traded buckets to begin the game, with a pair of Gator three-pointers, one from Steffi Sorensen and the other from Sha Brooks, the difference as Florida took an 8-4 lead. The Crimson Tide responded with a 10-1 run and marched in front, 14-10, at the 15:06 mark.
Both squads again exchanged scores of differing amounts over the next five and half minutes, as the Gators received points from Trumae Lucas, Dotson, Aneika Henry and Brooks, but couldn’t take the lead. Trailing by three, Dotson converted a pair of free throws and Stewart connected on consecutive possessions
that put Florida ahead, 24-23, with 8:53 to go in the first half.
The lead was short lived, however, as Ericka Russell came right back with a three-pointer. Dotson then powered up a shot underneath as Stewart fed the Gator senior from the high-post to tie the score at 26-all.
Courtney Strauthers and Tierney Jenkins followed with back-to-back baskets and put the Tide ahead by four, 30-26, with 6:50 to play.
That’s when the Gators started to find their offensive and defensive strides, as Florida ripped off a 12-0 run, with four points from Sorensen, four from Stewart and two each from Brooks and Dotson, as the Gators assumed a 38-30 lead with 3:27 on the clock.
Jenkins halted the run with a trey and the teams traded buckets on the next series, with the Gators maintaining their five-point advantage until Lucas canned UF’s fourth 3-pointer of the half, starting an 8-0 spree to end the period that gave Florida a 48-35 lead at the break.
After a slow start, the Gators heated up to hit 48.7 percent (19-39) of their shots, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc. Alabama sizzled from the floor, shooting 51.7 percent (15-29) during the opening half, but Florida held a commanding 24-14 rebounding advantage, with 12 coming on the offensive end that resulted in 15 second-chance points.
Florida returns to action on Sunday, when the Gators play their lone home contest during a five-game stretch. Florida entertains No. 12 Tennessee in the O’Connell Center beginning at 5 p.m., with gates opening at 3:30 p.m. ESPN2 will broadcast the game live.