Gators Women’s Basketball Falls to Alabama

The Florida Gators women’s basketball team dropped their second game in a row this week after falling, 77-70, to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday night.

Battling to the End

While the Gators did come up on the short end against the Crimson Tide, it wasn’t without a fight. Florida saw itself down as many as 17 points in the third period before making a run in the fourth quarter to narrow Alabama’s lead to single digits.

The Gators received big performances from a handful of players, including senior guard Kiki Smith, who tied her career-high in points with 27 on the night. It was the eighth time this season that Smith recorded 20 or more points in a game.

Smith also notched a career-high four three-pointers to go along with her impressive 27-point performance.

Alabama was led offensively by two veterans in forward Jasmine Walker and guard Jordan Lewis. The two combined for 42 of the Crimson Tide’s 77 points and six rebounds to help carry Alabama to a victory.

Florida head coach Cam Newbauer said his team showed a lot of heart but credited the Crimson Tide’s defensive performance.

Newbauer also noted the effort some of the players like Smith have put in the gym and how it is beginning to pay off for the team come game competition.

As a team, the Gators shot close to 45% from the floor on Thursday night and finished with nine three-pointers. Furthermore, Florida managed to get 20 points off the bench, including 11 from sophomore forward Faith Dut.

There were a couple of times Thursday where the Gators were able to make a few runs and keep the game within striking distance. When asked about what leads to these kinds of moments in games, Dut said it comes down to having good playmakers on the team.

What’s Ahead

The Gators conclude their busy week of games on Sunday when they travel to Missouri to take on the Tigers. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Heading into the matchup, Newbauer said it will be important to remain locked in both offensively and defensively.

Can Florida snap its two-game skid? We’ll have to wait and see.

The sound used in this story is courtesy of Gator Vision.