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Gators women’s basketball had their longest postseason run since the 2013 WNIT come to a close Monday night after a loss to Bowling Green, as Florida fell 69-52 to the Falcons.
Hot Start
The Gators held their own early on, trailing by just one point (15-14) after the first quarter. Bowling Green put themselves on the board first after a three from junior guard Lexi Fleming.
Florida responded with nine unanswered points of their own, topped off by a sweet layup from senior guard Nina Rickards.
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Florida extended their lead 14-11 before four points from Bowling Green put the Falcons on top at the end of the first.
Taking the Lead
Senior guard KK Deans kicked off the second quarter for the Gators with a three just two minutes in — her third long-range make of the half and 77th of the year. Deans now sits at 7th in school history for a single season for threes.
Deans was followed by six straight points from senior guard Leilani Correa to put Florida up 26-22.
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Despite six more points for the Falcons, the Gators maintained their lead at the half and led 31-28.
Falcons Fight Back
Bowling Green’s Amy Velasco put up nine unanswered point for the Falcons to close out the third quarter. The sophomore guard hit a three-pointer and back-to-back layups.
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The Gators posted 11 points of their own in the third, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Falcons’ lead. The score was 50-42 with one quarter left to play.
Continued Momentum
The final quarter was all about Bowling Green, as they put up 19 points to the Gators’ 10 — led by Fleming and senior guard Elissa Brett. With just under one minute left, the Gators suddenly saw themselves in an inescapable 68-50 hole.
Game Stats
Correa led the Gators in scoring, putting up 20 points on the night, while Deans lead in three-pointers.
Velasco led the Falcons with 18 points, followed by Brett with 16.
Bowling Green will now take on Columbia Wednesday night at 6 in the WNIT Fab Four.
