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  • Gators crush Lady Tigers to wrap up Savannah Ivitational

    Gators crush Lady Tigers to wrap up Savannah Ivitational

    FINAL: FLORIDA 90, SAVANNAH STATE 40

    1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 24 21 30 15 X 90
    SSU 6 6 12 16 X 40

    SAVANNAH, GA- The Florida Gators finished competition at the Savannah Invitational with a 2-1 record after defeating Richmond on Tuesday, falling to Stetson on Wednesday, and completely dominating Savannah State on Thursday.

    The Gators dominated play from the opening tip against the Lady Tigers. Florida raced out to a large first quarter lead with runs of seven, nine, and six. The Gators also had an extended run of fourteen straight in the second quarter that spanned 6:15. Florida held Savannah State to only 13.3 percent from the field in the first half. Florida cruised through the second half and finished with a 50 point win.

    Florida sophomore Delicia Washington finished the game with the program’s third ever triple-double. Washington finished the game with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. The only two others to have recorded the feat were first round picks in the WNBA draft (DeLisha Milton, and Vanessa Hayden).

    Sophomore Sydney Searcy, starting for the second straight game, finished with a team high 20 points. Searcy shot 7-13 from the field and 6-12 from beyond the three-point arc. For the second time in three games, Florida set the program mark for made treys, finishing with 17.

    Joining Searcy and Washington in double-digits was Haley Lorenzen, who scored her 900th career point during the game (18), and Paulina Hersler (17). Freshman Jalaysha Thomas also added 12 rebounds for Florida.

    The Gators used a nine-person rotation and all nine players received at least 14 minutes of action. Florida more than doubled the Lady Tigers on the glass with a 58-27 edge. Florida also allowed Savannah State to finish with a 21.9% shooting effort.

    Florida will return home Tuesday night to face Jacksonville University.

    TEAM STATS:

    FLORIDA SSU
    FG % 49 22
    3-PT % 44 13
    FT % 87 71
    Offensive Rebounds 16 11
    Total Rebounds 58 27
    Assists 21 4
    Steals 2 8
    Blocks 0 0
    Turnovers 17 9

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    Florida returns to Gainesville to face Jacksonville on Tuesday. Jacksonville is 2-2 on the year with wins against Iona and Nichols State. The Dolphins defeated Nicholls State 69-61 on Saturday November 18. Jacksonville has a pair of home games this weekend against Monmouth and Webber International as part of The Jacksonville Thanksgiving Classic.

    Florida vs Jacksonville

    November 28, 2017

    7:00 PM / Exactech Arena

    SEC NETWORK +

  • #7 Florida shoots lights out in dominant win over Stanford

    #7 Florida shoots lights out in dominant win over Stanford

    FINAL: FLORIDA 108, STANFORD 87

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 58 50 X 108
    STANFORD 39 48 X 87

    PORTLAND, OR- If the Florida Gators shoot like they did on Thursday night more consistently, they will be a tough team to beat. The Gators shot 58% from the field and 68% from three-point land in a 108-87 demolition of Stanford in the opening game of the Phil Knight 80 Invitational.

    Florida started the game on an 11-3 run that included three made three point shots and six points from graduate transfer Egor Koulechov. Koulechov finished the game with 26 points on 10-14 shooting from the field. Koulechov made all five treys he attempted.

    The Gators raced to a 19 point halftime lead, and watched the lead stretch to as much as 38 midway through the second half. From there Florida was able to empty their bench allowing younger players the opportunity to get quality minutes.

    Koulechov was joined by junior Jalen Hudson (17), Chris Chiozza (14), and Deaundrae Ballard (13) in double figure scoring. Chiozza finished with a double-double, adding 11 assists to his stat line.

    Stanford shot 54% from the field themselves, which often times would lead to a victory, but the Gators hot shooting was just a little better. Florida made 13 three-pointers in the first half which is a program record for most in any half.

    Florida was without starting big man Kevarrius Hayes. Florida announced that Hayes was suspended just one hour prior to tip-off. Hayes is expected to return in the Gators next contest. Keith Stone started in place of Hayes and finished 5 points and 3 rebounds. Stone only shot 1-7 from the field.

    Florida is now 4-0 and have surpassed the century mark in three of their games. Florida will face the winner of the late game between Ohio State and Gonzaga on Friday.

    RECORDS:

    • FLORIDA: 4-0
    • STANFORD: 3-3

    Team Stats:

    FLORIDA STANFORD
    FG % 59 54
    3-PT % 68 41
    FT % 81 81
    Offensive Rebounds 6 5
    Total Rebounds 27 28
    Assists 23 15
    Steals 13 6
    Blocks 4 2
    Turnovers 11 18

    What’s Next:

    Florida will advance to the winners side of the Motion bracket in the Phil Knight 80 Invitational. They will face #17 Gonzaga in the semifinals on Friday. The Bulldogs are 4-0 and led by guard Josh Perkins who is averaging 15 points and 3.7 assists per game.

    Florida vs Gonzaga

    November 24, 2017

    11:00 PM EST / Portland, OR

    ESPN2

  • Gators C Kevarrius Hayes suspended for Stanford game

    Gators C Kevarrius Hayes suspended for Stanford game

    The Florida Gators announced the suspension of starting center Kevarrius Hayes just one hour prior to tipoff of Florida’s matchup with Stanford in the Phil Knight Invitational.

    The reason is unknown other than the “violation of team rules” mantra the University typically announces.

    Hayes is averaging 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds thus far this season. Gorjok Gak is expected to see an increase in minutes due to the suspension.

    Florida will face Stanford at 10:00 PM EST in Portland, Oregon. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

    UPDATE (9:45 PM): Florida announced their starting lineup with F Keith Stone rather than a true center.

  • Heitner: Kelly signed contract with UF on Sunday

    Heitner: Kelly signed contract with UF on Sunday

    According to Darren Heitner of the Sports Agent’s Blog, Chip Kelly did indeed sign a contract with UF officials on Sunday.

    Heitner is also reporting (via sources) that Kelly verbally agreed to a deal prior to Florida’s game against South Carolina.

    Apparently Florida, wanting to wait until after the season was over to announce a deal, gave Kelly the opportunity to back out of the deal within a certain timeframe.

    ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported that Kelly met with UCLA representatives in California on Tuesday.

    Heitner is the one who broke the story of Jim McElwain’s agent being in negotiation with Florida for a mutual separation just before the Florida-Georgia game.

    MY TAKE: This is pretty much aligned with everything I have been hearing. I’ve been told via several people that Kelly did sign a deal on Sunday.

    Like most people I was confused about the UCLA reports, but Heitner appears to clarify that situation.

    ALSO: In January 2012, Chip Kelly had agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before ultimately deciding to return to Oregon. The following year Kelly would leave for Philadelphia.

    *More to come*

  • Egor Koulechov named SEC Player of the Week

    Egor Koulechov named SEC Player of the Week

    Florida basketball is off to a 3-0 start thanks in large part to graduate-transfer Egor Koulechov.

    Koulechov scored 34 points in his Gators debut on Monday against Gardner-Webb. Koulechov added 13 against North Florida and 14 in the win versus New Hampshire.

    For his efforts, Koulechov was named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday:

    Florida will face Stanford in the Phil Knight Invitational on Thursday in Portland, Oregon. The Gators and Cardinal will tip-off at 10:00 PM on ESPN2.

  • Florida advances to Elite Eight with Golden Goal victory

    Florida advances to Elite Eight with Golden Goal victory

    FLORIDA 1, WASHINGTON STATE 0 -2OT

    Florida freshman forward Deanne Rose was back in action for the Gators after missing several games due to her international commitment with Team Canada.

    On Sunday, Rose scored the game winner against Washington State to propel Florida into the NCAA Elite Eight (quarterfinals). For Rose, it was her team-leading ninth goal of the year.

    The Gators and Cougars battled through 90 minutes of regulation and fourteen minutes of golden-goal overtime before Florida finally found the net.

    Lais Araujo sent a pass to a streaking Rose who touched the ball just wide of the out-stretched WSU goalkeeper and found the far side of the net to end the match.

    For the afternoon, Florida only managed two shots on goal, but junior goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese made four stops in her eighth clean sheet of 2017.

    Florida will now face #1 seed South Carolina (15-2-1) in Columbia, SC on Friday with a spot in the College Cup (in Orlando) on the line. Florida lost to the Gamecocks in Gainesville in October on a late second half goal by Savannah McCaskill.

  • Report: Chip Kelly has signed contract, “ink has dried”

    Report: Chip Kelly has signed contract, “ink has dried”

    Buddy Martin is reporting via a Facebook live feed that Chip Kelly has signed the contract presented to him by UF officials.

    Martin, citing a source (not his own words), says that “the ink has dried, and Chip Kelly is the Florida Gators head football coach.

    Just hours earlier, Martin reported that UF officials were headed to meet Kelly “with contract in hand.”

    More to come as this story develops further.

    Worth noting:

  • Buddy Martin: UF officials meeting with Chip Kelly in New Hampshire

    Buddy Martin: UF officials meeting with Chip Kelly in New Hampshire

    The University of Florida and Athletic Director Scott Stricklin may be close to naming a new football head coach.

    Buddy Martin made the following declaration on his radio show’s Facebook account:

    Martin believes that Florida has targeted Chip Kelly for about ten days and has done several Facebook live videos in that span anytime something new has broken.

    Martin hosts a radio show out of Ocala, Florida and has corroborated on books with Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.

    If Chip Kelly is to sign the contract tonight, we could be hearing an announcement with a press conference coming shortly.

    An early announcement would also allow Kelly to be on campus for a major recruiting weekend against rival Florida State. Four-star QB Matt Corral is the headliner of a star-studded group heading to Gainesville this weekend.

    __________

    The UF basketball team is facing New Hampshire tonight at 6:00 PM. Kelly is a UNH alum, as he played DB for the school, graduating in 1990.

    __________

    On Sunday, UCLA fired head coach Jim Mora (on his birthday, no less) and is believed to have Kelly on their shortlist as well.

  • Florida falls to #17 Florida State 84-54

    Florida falls to #17 Florida State 84-54

    FINAL: FLORIDA STATE 84, FLORIDA 54

    1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT FINAL
    FSU 18 20 28 18 X 84
    FLORIDA 18 8 13 15 X 54

    GAINESVILLE, FL- On Friday, the Florida women’s basketball team faced a team that was just too good. Florida only committed six turnovers, but still lost by thirty points to #17 Florida State.

    Florida State began the game with a flurry, taking an early 12-4 lead. Florida fought back and by the end of the first quarter had tied it up at 18. After a Funda Nakkasoglu layup brought Florida within two points at 28-26, the Seminoles rattled off at 10-0 run to end the half. Florida State extended their run with the first nine points of the third, essentially putting Florida out of contention.

    Florida head coach Cameron Newbauer said in his post-game press conference “tonight we played a very, very good team. We tried things defensively that worked early on in the first half.” He continued by saying “We have not developed good habits, we aren’t sharing the ball, we aren’t setting up screens. Once again, we got manhandled (on the glass).”

    According to FSU head coach Sue Semrau, “(Coach) Cam packed the paint, challenging us to shoot the three.” Unfortunately for the Gators, transfer guard, AJ Alix shot the three ball very well. Alix finished with 26 points, making six three-point shots.

    Nakkasoglu led the Gators with 18 points on fifteen attempted shots. Paulina Hersler was the only other Gator to score in double-figures with 11. Sophomore guard Delicia Washington finished with a team high 8 rebounds, though shot the ball 0-11 from the field (she finished with two points from free throws). Senior forward Haley Lorenzen recorded a team high of four assists.

    Florida State finished with four scorers with double-digit points. In addition to Alix, Nicki Ekhomu (14), Shakayla Thomas (12), and Imani Wright (11) led the Seminoles past the Gators.

    Florida was outrebounded by Florida State 50-32 in the game, but Florida only allowed 11 offensive rebounds. “We only gave up eleven offensive rebounds,” Newbauer started, “but they didn’t miss many shots.”

    Newbauer emphasized that his players are all learning completely different roles. All of the players are working hard, and they are building the locker room. He also emphasized that the team has shown signs of growth, even if the results aren’t showing it yet.

    Florida will play this week in the Savannah Invitational in Georgia to face Richmond, Stetson, and Savannah State over a three day period.

    TEAM STATS:

    FSU FLORIDA
    FG % 50 32
    3-PT % 39 25
    FT % 75 39
    Offensive Rebounds 11 9
    Total Rebounds 50 32
    Assists 14 10
    Steals 0 3
    Blocks 2 0
    Turnovers 7 6

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    Florida travels to Savannah, GA to compete in the Savannah Invitational on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Florida will face Richmond at 4:30 PM on Tuesday. The Spiders are 2-1 this season with wins over Fairfield and Columbia before losing to Wake Forest on Friday.

    Florida vs Richmond

    November 21, 2017

    4:30 PM / Savannah, GA

    *Savannah Invitational

  • Gators advance to Sweet Sixteen with win over USF

    Gators advance to Sweet Sixteen with win over USF

    FINAL: FLORIDA 1, SOUTH FLORIDA 0

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    USF 0 0 X 0
    FLORIDA 1 0 X 1

    GAINESVILLE, FL- The Florida Gators are moving on to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. Florida defeated South Florida 1-0 on Friday to accomplish the feat. The Gators have made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the thirteenth time in program history. The Gators will face Washington State on Sunday for the right to advance to the Elite Eight.

    The Gators got on the board late in the first half as Briana Solis set up Mayra Pelayo off a free kick. Pelayo sent the shot inside the upper far post at the 42:00 mark of the first half. Pelayo’s goal was her fourth of the season while Solis got credit for her sixth assist of 2017.

    The Gators have shut out ten opponents this year, and GK Kaylan Marckese recorded her seventh clean sheet of the season. Marckese now has twenty-one career shutouts.

    Florida controlled most of the action, outshooting the Bulls 12-4 and earning ten corner kicks while only allowing one for USF. Florida forced USF into 17 fouls over the course of the match.

    TEAM STATS:

    USF FLORIDA
    SHOTS (ON GOAL) 4 (1) 12 (9)
    CORNERS 1 10
    FOULS 17 13

    Goal Scorers:

    • 43rd minute: UF PELAYO (4)

    What’s Next:

    Florida faces Washington State (9-7-3) at Dizney Stadium on Sunday at 2:00 PM with a trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight on the line. The Cougars defeated Tennessee 3-1 in penalty kicks after ending regulation and double overtime tied at 2.

    Florida Gators vs Washington Cougars

    November 19, 2017

    2:00 PM / Dizney Stadium