GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida got a boost in its quest
for national prominence Thursday night, surviving a late scare to
break a long streak of futility against No. 5 Georgia with a 75-64
victory.
Brandi McCain scored 21 points for the Gators (18-2, 6-1
Southeastern Conference), who snapped a six-game losing streak
against their rivals. It was Florida's seventh victory over the
Bulldogs (18-4, 6-2) in the 37-game series.
The Gators (No 11 ESPN/USA Today; No. 9 Associated Press) were still smarting from a 72-59 loss to Georgia
three weeks ago in which the Bulldogs held them scoreless over the
final four minutes and finished the game on a 15-0 run.
"We left Athens disappointed," Florida coach Carol Ross said.
"We didn't like how we left it, and it was in the back of our
minds. In some ways, this game was all about Georgia, but in
others, it really had nothing to do with Georgia."
The victory puts Florida right where it needs to be -- alone in
second place in the SEC with games against Vanderbilt and
Tennessee coming up in the next 10 days.
The win matched the highest-ranked opponent Florida has beaten
in Ross' 11 years with the program, and may have given the Gators
the confidence boost they need as they head into the heart of their
schedule.
"It's a big win and a positive step," Ross said. "It not only
affects this team, but it's a big win for the whole program, too."
The Gators led this game from start to finish, although the
Bulldogs did offer a late-game scare.
After Monique Cardenas hit a short jumper to put Florida ahead
64-49, Kelly Miller scored seven points during a quick 13-2 run
that pulled Georgia within four with 2:51 remaining.
But Cardenas answered with a three-point play and another short
jumper to spark a 7-2 Florida rally that iced the game and left
Georgia coach Andy Landers fuming.
"There's nothing moral about this," Landers said, when asked
if the comeback encouraged him. "We got our butts kicked. Anything
we might have done in a five-minute span didn't make a lick of
difference."
McCain sparked the Gators early, hitting three 3-pointers to put
Florida ahead 24-12 midway through the first half. Her defense
helped keep Miller and her twin sister, Coco, from taking over.
Kelly Miller finished with 17 points and Coco had 16 but
struggled from the floor, shooting just 5-for-19.
"We could kind of see Kelly and Coco getting down on
themselves," Florida guard Tombi Bell said. "We know when they
get down, they get down on themselves really hard. It doesn't help
their play any."
Naomi Mobley had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Gators, while
Bell and Tamara Stocks had 10 points each.
Georgia played most of the game with its two post players,
Tawana McDonald and Christi Thomas, in foul trouble. More of a
problem were the 20 turnovers the Bulldogs committed over the first
30 minutes. They finished with 22 turnovers that led to 26 Florida
points.
"It's one thing to go out and get shocked, then adjust,"
Landers said. "If I had more players, I might have benched the
whole starting five. They just never adjusted."
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ALSO SEE
Women's College Basketball Scoreboard
Georgia Clubhouse
Florida Clubhouse
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