Florida Tops UK Women 70-62
By Victor McKay
Lexington, KY – The University of Kentucky Women’s basketball team was holding their own against the Florida Gators Sunday despite playing without their star guard Ryne Howard who has been sidelined with a hand injury. In fact, they ended the first half with a 10-point lead 29-19.
The second half was a whole different story as Florida outscored Kentucky 51-33 t to earn their third conference win and 12th win overall. The win also ended UK’s five-game win streak over the Gators.
Kentucky was plagued by foul trouble for most of the game. Sabrina Haines picked up her fourth early in the second half, while KeKe McKinney went to the bench with four fouls late in the third quarter. Haines and Tatyana Wyatt fouled out. Roper was the only Wildcat other than Patterson to reach double figures, scoring 15 points to go along with five rebounds.
Chasity Patterson did her best to rescue the Cats. She scored a career-high 25 points to go along with four steals, stepping up time and time again when UK most needed her.
Kentucky (17-4 overall, 6-3 SEC) built a 14-point lead in the second quarter but struggled to overcome its size disadvantage against the Gators. Florida (12-10, 3-6) outrebounded the Cats 45-27 and had two players put up double-doubles. Lavender Briggs had 18 points and 13 rebounds and forward Zada Williams dominated the paint, scoring 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting and hauling in 12 rebounds.
Scoring:
Florida – 9 – 10 – 24 – 27 – 70
Kentucky – 17 – 12 – 17 – 16 – 62
Kentucky – Wyatt 1, Haines 5, Paschal 4, Roper 15, McKinney 8, Patterson 25 Anyagaligbo 4
Florida – Williams 12, Smith 6, Briggs 18, Moore 3, Rickards 12, de Oliveria 6, Johnson 2 Bartram 9
